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 India |  Uganda |
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India–Uganda relations are bilateral relations between theRepublic of India and theRepublic of Uganda. India and Uganda establisheddiplomatic relations in 1965 and each maintain aHigh Commission in the other's capital. The Indian High Commission inKampala has concurrent accreditation toBurundi. Uganda hosts a large Indian community and India–Uganda relations cover a broad range of sectors including political, economic, commercial, cultural and scientific cooperation.[1]
Relations between India and Uganda began with the arrival of over 30,000 Indians in Uganda in the 19th century who were brought there to construct theMombasa–Kampala railway line. Ugandan independence activists were inspired in their struggle for Ugandan independence by the success of theIndian freedom struggle and were also supported in their struggle byIndian Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru.[2][3]Indo-Ugandan relations have been good since Uganda's independence, except during the regime ofIdi Amin. Amin in 1972expelled over 55,000persons of Indian origin and 5,000 Indians who had largely formed the commercial andeconomic backbone of the country, accusing them of exploiting native Ugandans.[3][4] Since the mid-1980s whenPresidentYoweri Museveni came to power, relations have steadily improved. Today some 20,000 Indians andPIOs live or work in Uganda.[3] Ethnic tensions between Indians and Ugandans have been a recurring issue in bilateral relations given the role of Indians in the Ugandan economy.[5][6]
Indians and persons of Indian origin play a key role in the Ugandan economy in the manufacturing, trade and service sectors. Indian businesses employ thousands of Ugandans and are among the largest taxpayers in Uganda. Traditionally, Indians in Uganda were traders ofGujarati descent. Immigrants fromPunjab and healthcare workers fromKerala have also arrived in Uganda in recent years. Since the 1980s, India has emerged as one of the largest investors and trading partners of Uganda.[2][7]
Bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to $728 million in 2010–11, with the balance of trade heavily in India's favour with Ugandan exports to India accounting for only $16.7 million of the total trade. Uganda imports almost 30% of itspharmaceuticals from India while India emerged the second largest source ofForeign Direct Investments for Uganda in 2011.[8] Firms run by PIO families and PIO business groups, such as theMadhvani,Mehta,Mukwano andRuparelia, are among the largest in Uganda, while Indian companies, such asTata Coffee,Bank of Baroda andAirtel, have a significant presence in Uganda.[9]
Since Uganda's independence, India has been an important destination forhigher education for Ugandan students. Several topUgandan politicians including formerprime ministerKintu Musoke and deputy prime ministerKirunda Kivejinja have studied in India. Since the 1960s, under theIndian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme, Ugandan officials, scientists and other professionals have attended training courses in India.[2]Following theIndia–Africa Forum Summits inNew Delhi andAddis Ababa, India has decided to establish three key institutions in Uganda – the India-Africa Institute of Foreign Trade, the Food Processing Business Incubation Centre and the Material Testing Laboratory. Uganda has been linked to thePan-African e-Network project being undertaken by India allowing it to access Indian expertise through telemedicine and tele-education.[10] Uganda has also benefited from India's Focus Africa Initiative and its New Economic Partnership for Africa's Development which have set aside over $200 million for Africa's economic development.[8][9][11]
