Indian High Commissioner reflects on historical presidential visit
Sharon Mathala | Wednesday November 26, 2025 08:14
Speaking to Mmegi this week, India’s High Commissioner, Bharath Kumar Kuthati, reflected on what he described as “a profoundly significant moment happening on the eve of our 60 years of diplomatic relations.” He said the three-day state visit by President Droupadi Murmu went very smoothly and was marked by very productive discussion across sectors that both governments now see as ripe for deeper engagement.
Central to the visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding recognising the Indian Pharmacopoeia, an agreement that will finally allow Botswana to import high-quality, affordable medicines directly from India.
With the country currently battling severe medicine shortages, he said the dispatch of medicines is being prioritised at the highest levels.
“I cannot say exactly when, but I can say with certainty that all authorities understand the urgency.”
The High Commissioner said the two sides have identified low-hanging fruits or sectors that could quickly translate into new investments. While diamonds remain the bedrock of bilateral trade, he admitted the global slump cannot be ignored.
“We are all watching and waiting,” he said, noting that India’s domestic diamond demand is growing even as major markets like the US and China slow.
One of the most emotive moments of the visit was the formal handover of eight cheetahs Botswana’s gift to India as part of that country’s ambitious Project Cheetah programme, which seeks to reintroduce the species after its extinction in India in 1952.
Kuthati called the gesture a highly valued contribution and a foundation for deeper cooperation in biodiversity and wildlife conservation. India has already drafted a new MoU for Botswana to consider.
Beyond policy, the visit was steeped in symbolism. President Murmu toured the Botswana Diamond Trading Company, visited the Three Dikgosi Monument and addressed Botswana’s Parliament.
As if to bless the occasion, Kuthati joked: “She brought the biggest rains of the season that morning. We consider it an auspicious sign.”
With Botswana searching for alternatives to diamonds, the High Commissioner was frank about tourism’s untapped potential especially among India’s vast population.
“To promote tourism is actually simple, you must tell people there is something to see. Market yourselves aggressively,”he advised.
The High Commissioner also advised that Botswana should open up and ease travel.
“In our High Commission, tourist visas take two to three days. Medical visas come out the same day. Travellers don’t plan six months ahead anymore. If your visa takes a month, you have lost them,” he said, a sentiment also shared by President Duma Boko at a joint press briefing with the Indian President.
Asked what comes next, Kuthati was unequivocal.
“A state visit is not an ending. It is the beginning. Real action starts now, Priority number one is converting interest into investment. “Many Indian investors come to Botswana, but the conversion rate is low. “This visit has built confidence. We must now hand-hold investors, facilitate processes, and translate potential into actual projects,” he said.
Pharmaceutical manufacturing in Botswana, for example, is possible but investors must see the wider market.
“Botswana alone is small in population but Botswana inside Southern Africa is 350 million people. “With the African Continental Free Trade Area, that number rises to 1.4 billion - another India.”
For now, both countries are poring over a suite of pending MoUs in diplomacy, agriculture, culture, and conservation.
But the High Commissioner’s final reflection returned to the human element the spirit of the visit.
“There was so much positivity all around. It is not something we feel everywhere. This visit was auspicious, and we believe it will help both countries rise to the next level,” he said.