VP Radhakrishnan, Zanzibar President Mwinyi meet to boost India ties
Synopsis
Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi's New Delhi visit produced back-to-back meetings with both Vice President Radhakrishnan and EAM Jaishankar on the same day — a rare double diplomatic engagement spotlighting the IIT Madras Zanzibar Campus as the centrepiece of India's growing Africa education push.
Key Takeaways
Radhakrishnan and Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi met at Uprashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi on 19 July .
Talks covered trade, investment, tourism, the blue economy , education, technology, and multilateral engagement.
President Mwinyi appreciated India's support for the IIT Madras Zanzibar Campus , water projects, ICCR scholarships , and ITEC training programmes .
Jaishankar also held a separate meeting with Mwinyi the same day, focusing on higher education, AI, digital technology, and healthcare.
Mwinyi had attended the 63rd Convocation of IIT Madras in Chennai as Chief Guest before arriving in New Delhi.
Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan and Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi held wide-ranging talks at Uprashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on 19 July, covering trade, investment, tourism, the blue economy, education, technology, and multilateral engagement. The meeting reaffirmed the enduring India–Tanzania partnership and the historically rooted relationship between India and Zanzibar.
Key Discussions
The two leaders explored avenues to deepen bilateral cooperation across priority sectors. Vice President Radhakrishnan reiterated India's commitment to partnering with Tanzania and Zanzibar in advancing shared development goals. The Vice President's Office, in a post on X, described the discussions as 'wide-ranging and productive,' noting that the meeting 'reaffirmed the enduring India–Tanzania partnership and the special relationship India shares with Zanzibar, rooted in centuries-old maritime, cultural and people-to-people ties.'
Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary for Economic Relations at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and other senior officials were present during the meeting.
IIT Madras Zanzibar Campus in Focus
President Mwinyi expressed appreciation for India's support in establishing the IIT Madras Zanzibar Campus, describing it as a landmark initiative in bilateral educational cooperation. He also acknowledged India's assistance for water projects, ICCR scholarships, and ITEC training programmes. Notably, Mwinyi had attended the 63rd Convocation Ceremony of IIT Madras in Chennai as Chief Guest before travelling to New Delhi.
EAM Jaishankar Also Meets Mwinyi
Earlier the same day, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met President Mwinyi in New Delhi, covering higher education, capacity building, healthcare, artificial intelligence, digital technology, and water supply. Jaishankar described the interaction as productive and reaffirmed India's development partnership with Zanzibar and Tanzania. In a post on X, he wrote: 'A pleasure to meet Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, today in Delhi. We discussed expanding our cooperation in higher education, capacity building, water supply, health, AI, digital and other priority sectors.' He also called IIT Madras Zanzibar 'a shining example of our close partnership and India's enduring commitment to Africa's education and development priorities.'
Context and What Comes Next
President Mwinyi is on an official visit to India at the invitation of Vice President Radhakrishnan. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had welcomed the Zanzibar leader upon his arrival in New Delhi on Saturday. The visit signals a concerted Indian push to deepen its footprint in East Africa through education, digital infrastructure, and development finance — part of a broader India–Africa engagement strategy that has gained momentum in recent years. How the commitments made during this visit translate into concrete project timelines will be closely watched.
Point of View
And its repeated mention by both the Vice President's Office and EAM Jaishankar suggests New Delhi is keen to make it a replicable model. What the visit does not yet clarify is the pace and funding structure of future commitments — particularly on water projects and digital infrastructure, where announcements have historically moved faster than implementation.
NationPress
20 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Zanzibar President Mwinyi visit India in July 2025?
President Hussein Ali Mwinyi visited India at the invitation of Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan to strengthen bilateral cooperation across trade, education, the blue economy, digital technology, and development partnerships. He also attended the 63rd Convocation of IIT Madras in Chennai as Chief Guest before travelling to New Delhi.
What is the IIT Madras Zanzibar Campus?
The IIT Madras Zanzibar Campus is a landmark bilateral education initiative backed by India, established in Zanzibar as an extension of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. President Mwinyi praised it as a symbol of India's commitment to Africa's education and development priorities.
What did EAM Jaishankar and President Mwinyi discuss?
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and President Mwinyi discussed expanding cooperation in higher education, capacity building, water supply, healthcare, artificial intelligence, and digital technology. Jaishankar described the meeting as productive and reaffirmed India's development partnership with Zanzibar and Tanzania.
Which Indian officials were present at the VP-Mwinyi meeting?
Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary for Economic Relations at the Ministry of External Affairs, and other senior officials attended the meeting between Vice President Radhakrishnan and President Mwinyi at Uprashtrapati Bhawan.
What is India's broader engagement with Tanzania and Zanzibar?
India and Tanzania share centuries-old maritime, cultural, and people-to-people ties. India's current engagement spans education through the IIT Madras Zanzibar Campus, development finance for water projects, ICCR scholarships, and ITEC technical training — part of a wider India–Africa partnership strategy.
