The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has entered into a partnership with the Indian Merchants Chamber (IMC) to promote trade, tourism and investment in the country.

Clarence Fernandes, the Rwanda Development Board representative in Mumbai, India, said they are are also working with the Travel Agents Federation of India, a member organisation of the IMC, to bring investors from the tourism and hospitality industry to the annual Remarkable Rwanda investment summit in September.

"The event will be used to showcase the country’s rich tourism potential, as well as investment opportunities in the tourism sector that Indian investors can exploit,” he said.

He was speaking at the launch of Rwanda’s Meetings Planners Guide 2016 recently.

The function was organised in partnership with the IMC Navi Mumbai chapter.

Rakesh Kumar Jain, the chairman of IMC Navi Mumbai chapter, said the group was impressed by the huge strides Rwanda has made over the last two decades, especially by improving the doing business climate, ensuring good governance, including its zero tolerance to corruption.

"These encouraged us to explore trade and investment opportunities in Rwanda. We are hopeful that the visit planned for this year will help open new opportunities for our members, creating a win-win relationship for both of us,” Jain noted.

Fernandes assured IMC member of the full support of, not only RDB, but also that of all concerned government agencies and the local Private Sector Federation to ensure the success of any initiative undertaken by the Indian chamber.

The 108-year old IMC is a premier chamber of commerce and industry headquartered in India’s commercial capital city of Mumbai.

Figures by RDB indicate that registered investments from India over the last three years are worth over $113 million, cutting across key economic sectors such as mining, manufacturing, health, education, trade, agro-processing, energy and ICT.

Trade between the two countries has also increased from $34 million in 2010 to $153 million in 2014, especially in commodities such as horticulture products, pharmaceuticals and machinery, among other products.

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