“India is a global front runner in the field of generic medicines on a scale, commanding a 20% share in global supply by volume.” This was stated by Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare during his address to the India – Kenya Trade and Investment Forum in the presence of Dr William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, here today. Dr Ruto is currently on a state visit to India.
Highlighting the deep and strong historical, cultural and trade ties between India and Kenya, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya stated that “our entrepreneurs find it easier to do business with each other. This historically established trust has also encouraged many Indians to settle in Kenya.”
The Union Health Minister emphasised on healthcare and pharmaceuticals as two important sectors where India has made the most advances and the people of Kenya can benefit from it. He stated that “India also stayed true to its reputation of being the ‘pharmacy of the world’ by supplying almost 100 countries with vaccines and 150 countries – including from the developed world – with increased supply of relevant medicines.”
Pitching Indian industries as natural partners for Kenya, Dr Mandaviya said “India is the birthplace of some of the most ancient and well-known branches of traditional medicine, holistic healing and wellness practice that could have strong business implications.” He informed that “for the people of Kenya, India is the biggest destination for medical treatment. Over the years, India has grown to become a premier destination for medical value travel since it scores high over a range of factors that determine the overall quality of care.” “The Government of India has launched a portal to promote Medical Value Travel. This platform will facilitate treatment in India for foreign nationals across the globe. India’s cost-effective and quality pharmaceuticals and healthcare systems have made healthcare more accessible to people in Kenya and worldwide. We are happy to facilitate this further”, he stated.
The Union Health Minister also touched upon other initiatives taken by India including on digital economy and renewable energy. He urged Indian and Kenyan enterprises to cooperate in these sectors for the mutual benefit of both the countries. He also welcomed Kenya’s decision to join the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuels Alliance and congratulated them on the successful advocacy for the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr William Ruto stated that “Kenya established relations with India in 1911, even before India attained independence”. He stated that Kenyans and Indians are “one people” situated in two different geographical regions.
Encouraging investors and businesses to encash on the opportunities available in the state, Dr Ruto stated that “the govt has created a conducive ecosystem for businesses to grow and has brought in long-term policies to encourage investors. India has also opened its EXIM bank in Nairobi which will serve 15 countries in the region”. He urged Indian businesses to establish manufacturing facilities in Kenya as it will give them access to the whole African market as well as the American market, thanks to Kenya’s free trade agreements with these regions.
Dr Musalia Mudavadi highlighted that Kenya offers a safe and reliable investment destination for Indian businesses. He mentioned about cooperation between India and Kenya in sectors like Railways and encouraged Indian industries to expand their presence further.
Ms Rebecca Maino encouraged Indian businesses to invest in Kenya as it is the gateway to Africa and part of important trading partnerships in the region. She highlighted other important attributes of Kenya such as a stable economy, young and productive workforce, vibrant democracy and its position as a leading logistics and innovation hub in the region as important considerations for India to choose Kenya as its trade and investment partner in Africa.
Background:
India is the 3rd largest trading partner of Kenya, after China and the UAE. India – Kenya bilateral trade is worth 3.39 billion USD with Indian exports worth 3.274 billion and imports worth 116.6 million.
According to the Kenya Investment Authority, India is one of the top investors in Kenya. Over 200 Indian companies are present in various sectors including manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, telecom, IT & ITES, banking and agro-based industries.
Indian companies with presence in Kenya include PSUs like Bank of Baroda, Bank of India and KenIndia Assurance, and private companies like Bharti Airtel, Air India, Indigo Airlines, Tata Motors, Tata Chemicals, Mahindra & Mahindra, Thermax, Godrej, representative offices of Indian hospital chains, IT companies like Mahindra Tech and Zoho, Agri-company UPL, and over 200 Indian pharma companies registered in Kenya for mostly trade.
India and Kenya cooperate closely in regional and multi-lateral fora. Kenya is important member of the AU Committee of 10 Heads of State responsible for preparation of common African position on UNSC reforms. Kenya has extended (reciprocal) support for India’s candidature for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for term 2028-29. India and Kenya are also founding members of IORA.
India is the fifth largest source of inbound tourists for Kenya. According to Kenya Tourism Board, out of total 1,483,752 tourists in 2022, 83,106 tourists were Indians.
Many Kenyans travel to India for medical treatment of critical ailments every year. It is understood that 90% of international medical travel from Kenya is to India, followed by Thailand and Turkey. In 2022, the Indian Mission issued 4000 medical visas to Kenyans. Mutual recognition of Covid-19 vaccines has also been agreed to by both sides. Under Vaccine Maitri, Kenya was given 1.12 million doses of Covishield in March 2021 (1.02 million under COVAX alliance and 100,000 as gift). A MoU for establishing a tertiary care hospital in Eldoret, Kenya was signed between Apollo Hospital and Baler Healthcare, Kenya.
Senior Indian and Kenyan government officials and industry representatives were present at the event including Dr Musalia Mudavadi, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Government of Kenya; Ms. Rebecca Maino, Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry, Government of Kenya; Mr Subhrakant Panda, President, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Managing Director, India Metals & Ferro Alloys Limited (IMFA); Dr Eric Rutto, President, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Mr Sanjay Nayar, Senior Vice President, Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and Founder and Chairman, Sorin Investment Fund; Ms. Carole Kariuki, CEO, Kenya Private Sector Alliance and Mr. Akhil Gupta, Vice-Chairman, Bharti Enterprises.
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HFW/HFM Addresses India – Kenya Forum/05Dec2023/2
