India’s S Jaishankar and Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi Hold Talks in Delhi to Expand Cooperation in Tech, Water, Health and Education

New Delhi – On Sunday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar welcomed Zanzibar President and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, Hussein Ali Mwinyi, for a series of talks aimed at widening cooperation between India and the island nation.

The two leaders exchanged pleasantries before diving into a packed agenda that covered digital technology, water‑supply projects, artificial intelligence, healthcare delivery and higher education. Jaishankar posted a short note on X, calling the dialogue “productive” and underscoring New Delhi’s commitment to a “developmental alliance” with both Zanzibar and the United Republic of Tanzania.

“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…”, the minister wrote, adding a photo of the two side‑by‑side.

Education, in particular, emerged as a focal point. Jaishankar highlighted the IIT Madras‑Zanzibar campus, describing it as “a shining example of our close partnership and India’s enduring commitment to Africa’s education and development priorities.” The campus, which operates as an international outpost of IIT Madras, is slated to become a hub for joint research, student exchanges and skill‑building programmes.

President Mwinyi had arrived in India after a short but busy stop‑over in Chennai, where he served as chief guest for the 63rd convocation ceremony of IIT Madras. During the event, he urged stronger academic links and praised the Zanzibar‑IIT initiative as a flagship model for Indo‑African collaboration.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal welcomed the African dignitary at the Delhi airport, noting that the visit “reflects the growing momentum in the India‑Tanzania Strategic Partnership, building on longstanding people‑to‑people ties and our shared priorities as partners in the Global South.”

Both sides signalled that the discussions will soon move from rhetoric to concrete projects – from upgrading Zanzibar’s water‑treatment infrastructure to exploring AI‑driven healthcare solutions and expanding digital public‑service platforms.

Analysts see the meeting as part of a broader strategy by India to deepen ties with African nations through technology transfers and capacity‑building initiatives, positioning itself as a reliable development partner in the Global South.