I extend to the government and the people of South Africa warm greetings and good wishes on behalf of the government and the people of the Republic of India.
I am happy to see that Indian trade and investments with South Africa have been growing at a healthy rate.
This co-operation, I am confident, will contribute to the continued economic growth and development of both our countries and help us to address the challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality.
India has changed more in the last six decades than in the last six centuries. This is neither accidental nor providential; history shifts its pace when touched by vision. The great dream of raising a new India from the ashes of colonialism reached a historic denouement in 1947.
More importantly, independence became a turning point for an equally dramatic narrative: nation-building. Having faced colonialism, we embarked on a journey of struggle for peace, democracy and freedom in countries that were suffering colonial exploitation and oppression under unjust regimes.
Our spirit of brotherhood was most heartfelt in Africa and in particular in South Africa, where Gandhiji started his experiment with Satyagraha. For India, South Africa symbolises the very triumph of its own civilisational ethos and character.
The remarkable socioeconomic progress attained by South Africa exemplifies the victory of the principles that India holds dear to her soul: democracy, the rule of the law, freedom of expression, tolerance, social harmony and human enterprise.
It was here that the father of the Indian nation, Mahatma Gandhi, spent over 20 years of his youth. It is often stated that we sent a lawyer to South Africa and that South Africa returned a "Mahatma" to us. Our countries's peoples are drawn largely from the same historical, cultural and spiritual provenance.
Both nations have abiding faith in the ideals of democracy and secularism, and both nations intuitively advocate a rule-based architecture of global governance as a bulwark against common challenges such as the threat of terrorism, tackling poverty, human rights abuse and addressing climate change.
It is thus no wonder that the relationship between India and South Africa has an unwavering vitality. Regular high-level political interaction has been a hallmark of the Indo-South African bilateral relationship.
From the days of Mahatma Gandhi and John Dube, regular contacts, first at the party level and after 1994 at the highest government level, have nourished and guided this partnership into the 21st century.
Our co-operation encompasses diverse areas of mutual interest. We want to further enhance this vibrant and mutually beneficial cooperation not only through bilateral engagement but also through multilateral forums such as the Ibsa (India, Brazil, South Africa) framework, the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) initiative, G-20, United Nations, Basic (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) and other important international bodies. Vibrant and extensive people-to-people contact is the lifeblood of our enduring friendship.
India's bilateral trade with South Africa stood at over $14.7-billion in 2011-12, growing at over 30% a year. We expect this growth to continue over the coming years.
India is now a significant investor across the world. Many Indian companies are truly multinational in character and, with an estimated investment of $7-billion in South Africa, are playing an important role in the economic growth of the country.
The involvement of Indian companies is unique in the sense that they believe in developing human resources wherever they invest. This contributes to the empowerment of societies and also helps the companies achieve sustained organic growth.
In this supplement we have tried to showcase some of the success stories in different sectors such as automobiles, information technology, education, minerals beneficiation — particularly diamond cutting and polishing — as well as chemicals and pharmaceuticals. For several millennia, the Cape of Good Hope and the sea routes have been a key arbiter of the subcontinent's fortunes.
It was the discovery of the sea route around the African continent that opened the discourse between the West and the East. Naturally we have a convergence of interests in protecting critical sea routes in Asia and Africa. Let me assure you that India will remain a steadfast partner of South Africa.
To the communities of Indian origin, I extend my felicitations and say to them that India is blessed with a diaspora that mirrors India's own celebrated diversity.
Enriched by diverse linguistic, cultural and religious traditions in India you have contributed immensely to the nation-building process in South Africa too, making India equally proud of you and your achievements as citizens of South Africa.
India will be hosting the Ibsa summit in New Delhi in June 2013. We hope that the historical summit further cements our close and truly strategic partnership with South Africa and contributes to ever growing understanding and goodwill among the peoples of both our countries.
Virendra Gupta is the Indian High Commissioner to South Africa
Although this article has been made possible by the Mail & Guardian's advertisers, content and photographs were sourced independently by the M&G supplements editorial team. It forms part of a larger supplement.