This article covers cultural relations between India and Tanzania, scholarships and higher education, and the Indian community in Tanzania. It is based on the MEA brief of April 2026; community and scholarship figures are those given in that brief.
Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre
According to the MEA brief of April 2026, the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC) in Dar es Salaam, under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), has coordinated cultural outreach since its establishment in December 2010. It offers classes in Yoga, vocal music, tabla and Hindi language, taught by Indian teachers.
The brief describes regular outreach through performances by Indian arts groups in various towns of Tanzania, Yoga and AYUSH interactions, exhibitions and cooperation with educational institutions.
Cultural exchanges
ICCR regularly sends Indian cultural troupes to perform in Tanzania, and sponsors Tanzanian cultural troupes to perform at the Surajkund Crafts Mela in Faridabad every year. Tanzania was the partner country at the 37th Surajkund Mela. A 28-member delegation led by the Minister of Culture of Zanzibar, Ms. Tabia Maulid Mwita, attended the 37th Surajkund International Crafts Mela in Haryana.
Prof. Palamagamba John Aidan Kabudi, Tanzania's Minister of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, attended the first World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai from 1-4 May 2025.
Tanzania was also the partner country at International Gita Mahotsav-2024, held in Kurukshetra, Haryana, from 28 November to 15 December 2024.
Exhibitions, seminars and film
The High Commission of India and the National Museum of Tanzania curated an "India-Tanzania Friendship Exhibition", which was inaugurated at the National Museum of Tanzania on 26 January 2024 by the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Ms. Angellah Kairuki.
On 7 March 2024, the High Commission and the National Museum of Tanzania organised a seminar on the contribution of the Indian diaspora to Tanzania's development and to shaping India-Tanzania relations.
On January 24, 2026, H.E. Shri Bishwadip Dey, High Commissioner of India, inaugurated the first ever Indian Film Festival in Tanzania at Century Cinemax, Vijana Mall.
Scholarships and higher education
India offers 85 ICCR scholarships to Tanzania every year. According to the brief, in the FY 2026-27 Tanzania has been allocated 135 ICCR slots, which the brief describes as the highest in Africa.
The 1st offshore campus of IIT Madras was inaugurated in Zanzibar on 6 November 2023. As of the brief, the institute offers Bachelors and Masters courses in AI & Data Science and a Masters in Ocean Structures.
The Indian community
As of the brief, Tanzania is home to about 40,000 people of Indian origin, concentrated in the major urban centres of Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Dodoma, Morogoro, Zanzibar and Mbeya. The vast majority are from Gujarat, mainly from the Kutch and Kathiawad regions. Their ancestors came to the region (Zanzibar and Tanganyika) in several phases from the early 19th century as merchants, sailors and workers.
The brief states that the Indian-origin community is active in trade and industry in Tanzania. There are also about 15,000-20,000 Indian nationals, mostly professionals, who live and work in Tanzania, mainly in industry and services.
About twenty Indian and Asian community organisations are active in Tanzania. They regularly organise Indian festivals and social events, mostly with local participation and occasionally with performing artistes from India. The brief notes that the Indian community has retained its cultural identity and celebrates all Indian festivals.
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awardees
Four people of Indian origin from Tanzania have received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman:
- Mr. Jayantilal Keshavji Chande (2005)
- Dr. Rajni Kanabar (2010)
- Ms. Hajiat Shamim Parkar Khan (2019)
- Dr. Kaushik Laxmidas Ramaiya (2025)
To mark the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas, the High Commission of India organised an evening titled "Celebrating The Elders". It showcased four documentary films on prominent members of the Indian diaspora in Tanzania: Mama Shamim Parkar Khan, Mr. Yogesh Manek, Dr. Kaushik L. Ramaiya and Mr. Sardar Kamaljit Hanspaul.