Embassy of India

Antananarivo, Madagascar

Ambassador’s Remarks at the Inauguration of India Corner

(Antananarivo, 6 December 2024)

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Minister of Communication and Culture of Madagascar Her Excellency Mrs. Volamiranty Donna Mara, 

Secretary General of Ministry of Communication and Culture Mr.  Fetraniaina Rakotondrasoava,

Director General of the National Library of Madagascar Mr. Liva Ravoniarison,

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Namaskar, Salama, Good Morning! It is my pleasure to take part in today’s launch of the “India Corner” at the National Library of Madagascar. I am deeply grateful to the Minister of Communication and Culture for her gracious support to this initiative.

2. As you know, India is one of the oldest living civilizations, enjoying a continuous history of more than 5000 years. It is also a young nation, which achieved its independence in 1947 after a long and non-violent struggle for freedom. Today, India is the world’s most populous country and more than 50%  of its population are below the age of 25 years. Over the past 77 years of its independence, India has witnessed a remarkable progress to become the world’s 5th largest economy and its fastest growing major economy. With more than 110 Unicorns, India is home to the world’s 3rd largest start-up ecosystem. As the “Pharmacy of the World”, India meets about 60% of the global demand for vaccines and 20% of the generic medicines. India has emerged as a global leader in such fields as Information Technology, Digital Payments, Renewable Energy, Health etc. You might be aware of India’s achievements in the field of space - the soft landing of India’s “Chandrayan-3” spacecraft near the South Pole of the Moon and the placing of India’s “Aditya-L1” spacecraft into a halo orbit at a distance of 1.5 million km from the earth to observe the Sun.  Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Narendra Modi, India is now pursuing an ambitious goal to become a Developed Country by 2047, when India will be celebrating 100 years of its independence.

3. As close neighbors and fellow developing countries in the Indian Ocean region, India and Madagascar are bound by centuries-old ties of friendship and people-to-people linkages. The people of Indian Origin who arrived in Madagascar more than 150 years ago, act as a living bridge between our two countries. Embassy looks forward to working closely with the Ministry of Communication and Culture and other agencies to further strengthen the mutual understanding about the history, culture, traditions and languages of our two countries. I  take this opportunity to encourage the people of Madagascar to take advantage of the free classes of Hindi language and Yoga conducted daily at the Embassy. 

4. In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm that in line with the ancient Indian philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (World is One Family) and Vision SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region), India stands ready to share its developmental experience and expertise, as per the needs and priorities of Madagascar. I am confident that today’s launch of “India Corner” will help promote greater understanding about India among the people of Madagascar. Once again, thank you all for joining us in today’s event. Misaotra Tompoko!

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