A 5-day workshop for  Business Acceleration and Capacity Building brought together high level delegates from India and Rwandan trade promotion organizations like the Ministry of Trade and Industry, NIRDA, Rwanda Development Board, Private Sector Federation and other key institutions. In an event organised and promoted by The National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) for the benefit of Rwandan and Indian companies a database of over 230 Indian technologies in over 26 value chains have been identified and are ready for acquisition by Rwandan entrepreneurs, public institutions and business startups.More than ten Indian and Rwandan companies have signed Business Engagement Agreements (BEAs) within the  India-Rwanda Innovation Growth program which is initially focusing on five sectors that include agriculture, IT, health, leather and energy.

The idea of having foreign direct investments particularly based on technology and innovation coming in to support existing ventures was welcomed by Acting Director General in charge of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Mugwiza Telesphore. 

The year long process has successfully matched eleven Indian technologies and innovations with their partners in Rwanda. Recently, India-Rwanda relationships have been on the rise and strengthened and as part of a blossoming bilateral relationship, the Government of India is continuously providing Rwanda entreprenuers and professionals with access to new technologies and value chains. 

The India-Rwanda Innovation Growth Programme (IRIGP) objective is to meet the social-economic needs of Rwanda by linking the Rwandan public and private enterprises with leading edge Indian technologies and innovation

Mr. Yogesh Andlay,  the Co Chairman FICCI start-up committee, said that since Africa and India share similar historical background, India is willing to share the knowledge and technological know-how with Rwanda which will help strengthen and develop solutions of large societal benefit.

So far the program has had good progress and the experts on both sides are positive that it will benefit both the Indian and Rwandan companies.