Eswatini, India Mark ITEC Day 2025: Minister Shakantu Hails Partnership Built on Skills and Solidarity
By Kwanele Dhladhla
The United Nations Building in Mbabane came alive on Friday with colour, warmth, and diplomacy as Eswatini and India celebrated the 2025 Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Day, an occasion that highlighted more than six decades of shared growth and human resource development.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Senator Pholile Shakantu, used the event to underscore the enduring impact of ITEC on Eswatini’s development journey.
“The ITEC Programme has not only built skills but has also fostered enduring bonds of friendship between Eswatini and India,” Shakantu said.
“We remain deeply grateful to the Government and People of India for their continued support, hospitality, and care towards emaSwati beneficiaries. We look forward to further strengthening this invaluable cooperation.”
Joining her were Minister of Public Service Mabulala Maseko, senior government officials, and members of the diplomatic corps. India’s High Commissioner to Eswatini, Ram N. Prasad, emphasised that ITEC is far more than a skills programme.
“As we commemorate this occasion, we celebrate not just a programme, but a partnership that has endured for decades and continues to strengthen the bonds between India and Eswatini,” Prasad said.
Instituted in 1964, ITEC is one of the world’s oldest frameworks for international capacity building. Rooted in South-South cooperation, it has evolved over 61 years to provide training tailored to the specific needs of partner countries.
Since the opening of India’s resident mission in Eswatini in 2019, more than 400 emaSwati from government, semi-government, and private sectors have benefited. Training has spanned governance, ICT, agriculture, healthcare, public administration, and diplomacy.
The reach is wide. Beneficiaries include the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force, His Majesty’s Correctional Services, and the Royal Eswatini Police Service, ensuring that skills gained abroad strengthen critical institutions at home.
For Minister Maseko, the programme’s contribution to Eswatini’s workforce has been transformative. “When beneficiaries return home, they not only bring back new skills but also fresh ideas and innovative approaches that transform their workplaces and communities,” he said.
One of ITEC’s greatest strengths lies in its flexibility. Designed to be demand-driven, it adapts to Eswatini’s shifting priorities. Training has expanded from traditional fields like agriculture and banking to cutting-edge areas such as artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and cybersecurity.
Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, the programme adapted through e-learning. A total of 166 emaSwati officials took part in nine online ITEC courses, ensuring that learning did not stop even as the world ground to a halt.
The number of slots available to Eswatini has steadily grown. After the state visit of India’s President in 2018, annual training places were increased from 30 to 50 for civilians, plus 20 for defence officials, a clear signal of India’s long-term commitment.
Beyond the classroom, ITEC extends to six pillars: training, project-related activities, deployment of experts, study tours, equipment donations, and disaster relief.
Alumni are now scattered across Eswatini’s institutions, from Treasury officials improving financial systems, to health workers introducing updated medical practices, to educators adopting modern teaching methods.
High Commissioner Prasad told attendees that these alumni are the programme’s true ambassadors. “You are the living embodiment of this programme’s success. You inspire future participants and carry forward the spirit of partnership that defines India-Eswatini relations,” he said.
As Eswatini continues to grapple with challenges such as youth unemployment, skills shortages, and the need to diversify its economy, the ITEC programme remains a steady source of hope. It equips citizens not only with technical knowledge but with confidence to innovate and lead change.
Minister Shakantu closed the ceremony by situating ITEC within the broader vision of friendship and shared progress. “This programme represents more than just training opportunities.
It is a testament to the enduring friendship between Eswatini and India, a relationship built on shared values, respect, and a vision for a better future,” she said.
Her words echoed the sentiment of the day: that the bridges of knowledge being built today will carry Eswatini and India toward a future of mutual prosperity.