Malawi
India and Malawi shares cordial and friendly bilateral relations. India established diplomatic relations with Malawi immediately after Malawi’s Independence in 1964.Subsequently, a resident Mission in Malawi was established until 1993 and re-opened in March, 2012. Malawi opened its Mission in Delhi in February, 2007.
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Cooperation to tackle the challenge of COVID-19 Pandemic
- As part of Covid-19 assistance, India gifted 50,000 doses of India made Covid vaccine in March 2021. In September 2021, India gifted Covid related essential medicines and PPE material worth US$ 1.4 mn.
Capacity Building & Other Exchanges
- India is participating significantly in the human resource development of Malawi. India provides approximately 40 scholarships to Malawian students to pursue higher studies in India every year. Government of India also provide 130 slots every year to Malawi under ITEC Programme. So far, more than 800 Malawian nationals from both government and private sectors have been trained in India in various fields since 2008. In addition, 32 Malawi Defence officials have been trained under ITEC Programme and UN Peacekeeping Training programme since 2017.
- Similarly, more than 100 students from Malawi have pursued their higher education in various universities in India under Africa Scholarship Scheme and India-Africa Forum Summit Training programme.
- Pan-African E-Network: The multi-million-dollar Pan-African E-Network project was set up at Chancellor College in Zomba, Malawi. The Project commenced in August 2010 and concluded in March 2017.The programme was successful and more than 2,000 Malawians benefited under this programme.Since the new E-Vidya Bharati Aarogya Bharati (E-VBAB) project has been launched by Government of India in January 2020, more than 1600 students have been awarded scholarship to pursue short-term, under-graduation and post-graduation courses.
- Business Incubation Centre (BIC): India has established a Business Incubation Centre worth US $ 1 million in Malawi to provide short term training in processing of Tomato, Mangoes and cassava. The Center also has facilities to train students in semi-precious stone cutting and polishing techniques; compost processing unit and briquette unit. A group of 14 Master Trainers were trained by Indian experts.
- Cotton Technical Assistance Programme (C-TAP): The C-TAP Programme was started by India in 2012 for African countries including Malawi. Under the programme, 200 participants and 25 trainers from Malawi were trained through regional training and exposure visits to India. GoI has also set up and handed over the ‘Skill School for Apparel Manufacturing’ with 20 Industrial Sewing Machines and Cutting equipments to Government of Malawi in September 2016 and the facility has the capacity to train 20 Malawians at a time.
Development Cooperation (Grants/ LoCs/ Assistance)
- During the visit of Vice President of India to Malawi in January 2010, a grant of US $ 5 million was offered to Malawi - Science & Laboratory equipment worth US$ 1.5 million and medical equipment worth US$ 1.5 million consisting of mammography and ultra-sound machines were donated to Malawi government.
- US$1 million worth of agricultural implements supplied by India were handed over in August 2015 to Government of Malawi.
- In July 2015, a grant of US$1 million worth of essential medicines and drugs were handed over to Government of Malawi towards disaster relief operations in 2015.
- The GoI has also extended another grant of US$ 1 million in response to an international Appeal declaring Malawi on “State of Disaster” by President of Malawi in 2016.
- In 2020, Government of India gifted 1,000 MT of Rice in response to request for Aid due to failure of crop.
- The following grants were announced in November 2018:
- Bhabhatron Cancer treatment machine - Government of India has completed the formalities for supply of the machine and awaiting completion of the logistical arrangements for supply of the machine;
- Medicines worth US$ 2 million – The medicines were handed over to Government of Malawi in July 2020;
- 10 ambulances – Ambulances were handed over to Government of Malawi in February 2020
- 100,000 text books for Malawi schools – The books were handed over to Government of Malawi in February 2020.
- The Government of India under its “India for Humanity” initiative launched Artificial Limbs Fitment Camp in Lilongwe at Kamuzu Central Hospital.551 Malawians were fitted with artificial limbs.
- Since 2008, India has extended LoC worth US$ 395.68 mn for Malawi for various infrastructure development projects. Projects worth US$ 180 mn including Sugar Factory in Salima; 60 mnlitre capacity Fuel Storage Facilities in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu; Cotton Ginneries in Ngabu, Ngara and Balaka; Dal Processing Plants in Liwonde and Luchenza, etc., have been completed.
- In November 2018, a new LoC of US$ 215.68 million for drinking water supply schemes in Malawi was announced. The LoC agreement was signed between Government of Malawi and EXIM Bank on 12 June 2020 and works related to the projects have commenced recently.
- Malawi was one of early countries, who signed and ratified the ISA Framework Agreement in November, 2017. Mr. Aggrey Masi, Minister for Natural Resources, Energy and Mining represented Malawi at ISA Founding Conference held on 11 March, 2018 in New Delhi. In October 2021, ISA has granted US$ 50,000 to solarize the Malawian Parliament building.
- In February, 2021 assistance of US$ 500,000 was given from I-UNDP Fund for building inclusive digital economy in the Malawi (Ongoing Project).
