Page 68 - ie2 August 2019

WORLDVIEW

SAFARI TOURISM IN BOTSWANA

Modern buildings in Gaborone

OTSWANA, one of Africa’s most diplomatic relations with Botswana im- dustries in Botswana. Botswana opened
stable countries, is the continent’s mediately after its independence in 1966 a trade office called the Botswana Export
Blongest continuous multi-party de- and opened its diplomatic mission in Development and Investment Authority
mocracy. Sparsely populated, Botswana Gaborone in 1987. Botswana established (BEDIA) in Mumbai in 2010. The office
protects some of Africa’s largest areas of its Mission in New Delhi in 2006. was subsequently renamed the Botswana
wilderness. Safari-based tourism – tight- Botswana is an active member of Investment and Trade Centre (BITC).
ly-controlled and often upmarket – is an Southern African Development Com- India’s engineering exports to Botswa-
important source of income. Botswana is munity (SADC), South African Customs na have also increased from $7.98 million
the world’s largest producer of diamonds Union (SACU), WTO and other Inter- in 2016-17 to $11.83 million in 2017-18,
and the trade has transformed it into a national organisations. Botswana offers recording a high growth of 48.25 percent.
middle-income nation. The country has a business-friendly atmosphere and wel- The major engineering exports to Bot-
one of Africa’s most-advanced treatment comes foreign investment. Botswana State swana are products of iron and steel, in-
programmes, however, and medicine for Enterprises such as Local Enterprise Au- dustrial machinery for dairy, agriculture,
the virus is readily available. thority, Botswana Investment and Trade food processing, textiles, paper, chem-
India’s relations with Botswana have Centre (BITC) have played an important icals, etc, and electric machinery and
been close and friendly. India established role in the development of small scale in- equipment.

68 l INDIAN ENGINEERING EXPORTS l AUGUST 2019