Gandhinagar, Feb 13 (IANS) Gujarat and Zimbabwe discussed cooperation in the small and medium enterprise sector during a meeting between Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and a Zimbabwean delegation in Gandhinagar on Friday.
The delegation, led by Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives, Stella Nkomo, and Deputy Minister for Industry and Commerce, Rajendra Kumar Modi, is visiting Gujarat to take part in the 12th Trade Show organised by the Saurashtra Trade and Industry Association in Ahmedabad from February 11 to 15.
During the courtesy meeting, both sides explored ways for Zimbabwe’s Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector to benefit from the skills and expertise of Gujarat’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) ecosystem.
Discussions focused on collaboration in skill development, training programmes and strengthening institutional capacities.
The Ambassador and the Deputy Minister said Gujarat has emerged as a manufacturing and automobile hub and is developing as a semiconductor hub, while also maintaining a strong MSME base.
They conveyed Zimbabwe’s interest in drawing on Gujarat’s experience and technical capabilities to support the growth and modernisation of its SME sector.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed Gujarat’s readiness to examine practical avenues of cooperation.
He indicated that possibilities could be explored in enhancing SME potential, structured skill development initiatives and training partnerships aimed at building technical competencies.
The delegation also showed interest in expanding ties in the education sector.
They noted that police and security officials from Zimbabwe are pursuing advanced studies in areas such as security and cybercrime security at the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in Gandhinagar.
The Chief Minister invited Zimbabwe to participate in the upcoming Vibrant Summit-2027 and the next edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference to further strengthen economic engagement.
In response, the Ambassador and Deputy Minister invited entrepreneurs from Gujarat’s MSME sector and state government officials to attend an SME exhibition scheduled to be held in Zimbabwe in March this year.
They said that interaction with SME stakeholders and visits to industries would provide opportunities for technology-oriented development in Zimbabwe’s SME sector.
–IANS
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