Zimbabwe Deepens Trade Engagement with India Ahead of Major Business Conclave

Zimbabwe is intensifying its efforts to boost trade and investment ties with India as it prepares to take part in the 20th India-Africa Business Conclave, set to begin this Wednesday in New Delhi.

Following two days of strategic business engagements in Surat, Gujarat, as part of the Chalo-Zimbabwe initiative, Vice President Dr. Constantino Chiwenga has now arrived in the Indian capital to represent the country at one of Africa’s most significant economic forums with India.

While in Gujarat, the Vice President toured leading diamond processing facilities, the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), and Sumul Dairy — interactions that underscored Zimbabwe’s ambitions to move away from raw exports and embrace local value addition and rural-based agro-industrialisation.

“We witnessed the extent of diamond processing in Gujarat, where around 90% of the world’s diamonds are refined. Zimbabwe currently exports its diamonds through intermediaries, but our aim is to establish local processing hubs and trade directly with India,” said Chiwenga.
“Their dairy sector is also instructive, showing how small-scale farmers can feed into a robust and efficient value chain. This model could be successfully adapted to Zimbabwean rural communities.”

Vice President Chiwenga is accompanied by Professor Paul Mavima (Minister of Skills Audit and Development), Deputy Health Minister Sleiman Kwidini, Deputy Minister for Higher and Tertiary Education Simelisizwe Sibanda, and other senior government officials.

At the conclave, Zimbabwe’s delegation aims to transition from diplomatic discussions to concrete, action-oriented partnerships, with a focus on small and medium-scale initiatives in agriculture, mining, and manufacturing.

“We’re looking for partnerships that yield real outcomes. Even a handful of focused, high-impact projects in areas like cotton processing, diamond beneficiation, or agriculture can create lasting change,” Chiwenga noted.
“Our strategy is centred on growing village-level enterprises that can scale up with the right skills, technology, and capital support.”

Organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the three-day summit will bring together leaders from across Africa and India to deliberate on cooperation in sectors such as agriculture and food processing, healthcare, infrastructure, energy, mining, digital innovation, and skills development.

Zimbabwe is expected to pursue agreements in key areas including direct diamond sales, dairy partnerships, and capacity building in education and technology.

As the event unfolds, it offers Zimbabwe an opportunity to reposition itself in India’s investment landscape and foster mutually beneficial collaborations that extend beyond diplomacy into real economic transformation.