Johannesburg, Mar 12 (PTI) The experts from eight diverse sectors shared opportunities and challenges for collaboration between the two nations at the India-South Africa Business Conclave 2025 hosted by the High Commission of India in Pretoria on Tuesday.

The participants in the panel discussions on academia, defence, automotive, banking, IT, pharmaceuticals, FMCG and tourism shared a range of views on collaboration.

“We are grateful that at the political level, our cooperation is probably at the highest level, but over time it can only be sustained by the strength of our economic diplomacy," said South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) President Mtho Xulu.

Xulu signed a Memorandum of Understanding of behalf of SACCI with the India Business Forum (IBF) which acts for more than 150 Indian businesses represented in South Africa.

“We have been talking to each other for some time now and this an opportunity for us to work together sector by sector and see how we can together as one voice take our concerns to the government,” said IBF President Nihar Patnaik.

“From a SAAB perspective, we’re not only looking at the Indian market, but also expanding our supply chain globally. Utilising the facilities that we are creating in India we are are in a large ramp up phase now,” said Dr Nivan Moodley, VP and Head of Business Development Strategy at SAAB, the Sweden-based aerospace and defence company.

“The conflicts in the world in the last year or two has required us to now ramp up significantly and that means we cannot produce enough of our technology or products alone, so we have started utilising our Indian supply chain and the capabilities in India to be able to produce not only for the Indian consumer but for our worldwide customer base,” Moodley said as a speaker in the defence panel.

In the automotive panel, Mikel Mabasa, CEO of National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa, said the fact that the build quality of the vehicles that are coming through from India are almost like those of the best manufacturers in the world presented great opportunities.

Renee Moothilal, CEO of the National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers, said Indian Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) are starting to find a place not only in the South African market but also in the wider continental market.

“India is a fantastic role model of how it has used its own domestic OEM capability and research and development component production networks to drive fully competitive manufacturing. To a point, South African components are already being exported into the Indian economy, may be not at the level we would like to see, but I do think there is potential to expand that,” Moothilal said, adding that there was also opportunity to unlock together the role that South Africa has been playing in the emissions control environment.

Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra SA, the local subsidiary of the Indian giant, shared how they have expanded their plants and other facilities across South Africa in their determination to make the country “Mahindra’s second home outside India”.

“We have also signed up with the Industrial Development Corporation to evaluate CKD assembly in South Africa, so the idea is to see that the business model that we are developing is sustainable,” Gupta said.

Tata Motors South Africa CEO Harneet Luther said the company’s philosophy of finding the best way to provide most economical and efficient transport solutions also applied in South Africa.

“South Africa is not just a business forum for us. It is an opportunity to work with people and contribute to the society. We have also taken youngsters from South Africa to India for up to nine months and bring in those skills. South Africa is one place in sub-Saharan Africa where we would like to grow further together,” Luther said.

In the academia panel, Dr Saul Levin, Executive Director at Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies, said that new opportunities were being created as the world changes geopolitically and new alliances are formed.

In the banking panel, Vinesh Kassen, Head of India Client Coverage at ABSA Bank, said the financial inclusion of all citizens, especially the previously unbanked millions was a lesson that South Africa could take from India.

Commenting on the decision by US President Donald Trump to end billions of dollars of aid to other countries, Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Group Senior Executive Stavros Nicolau said he feared that there would be a huge impact on the global situation regarding HIV drugs.

Nicolau said that he was part of a team at the G20 working to address this. PTI FH AS AS