The President of India Droupadi Murmu was on a three-day official visit to Botswana from November 11 to 13, 2025, marking the first-ever state visit by an Indian President to Botswana.This visit marked the final leg of her state tour to Angola and Botswana.
- The visit comes ahead of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Botswana in 2026, which was established in 1966.
Exam Hints:
- What? President Droupadi Murmu visited Botswana
- When? November 11 to 13, 2025
- Significance: First-ever state visit by an Indian President to Botswana
- Key Visits: DTCB, National Assembly, Three Dikgosi Monument
- MoUs Signed:
- Pharmacopoeial cooperation
- Supply of ARV drugs (HIV/AIDS treatment)
- IP Recognition: Botswana became 18th country to recognise IP
- Project Cheetah: Botswana donated 8 cheetahs to be shifted to Kuno NP, MP
Highlights of President Draupadi Murmu’s Visit to Botswana:
Arrival: On November 11, 2025, President Draupadi Murmu arrived at the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in Gaborone (Botswana) where she received a ceremonial welcome including a Guest of Honour.
- She was accompanied by Union Minister of State (MoS) V. Somanna, Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), Ministry of Railways (MoR), Parbhubhai Nagarbhai Vasava, Member of Parliament (MP), Bardoli (Gujarat), and D.K. Aruna, MP, Mahbubnagar (Madhya Pradesh, MP).
Bilateral Meeting: President Draupadi Murmu was welcomed by President of Botswana Duma Gideon Boko at his office in Gaborone. They held one-to-one talks, followed by delegation-level meetings and discussed expanding cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, Renewable Energy (RE),agriculture, health, skill development, defence, and digital technology.
Key Visits: On November 12, 2025, President Murmu began her visit by visiting the Diamond Training Company Botswana (DTCB) in Gaborone.
- She addressed the National Assembly of Botswana, the only legislative body of Botswana, supported by the Ntlo ya Dikgosi, a council of tribal chiefs.
- She also visited the Three Dikgosi Monument in Gaborone and paid respects before the statues of three Dikgosi, tribal chiefs, including Khaama III of the Bangwato, Sebele I of the Bakwena, and Bathoen I of the Bangwaketse, who played significant role in Botswana’s independence movement.
MoUs signed:
Healthcare Access: During the visit, India and Botswana signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Pharmacopoeial cooperation, enabling harmonisation of pharmaceutical quality standards, facilitating smoother access for Indian medicines in Botswana, and enhancing regulatory cooperation and capacity building for laboratories.
- Under the MoU, Government of India (GoI) agreed to supply essential antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, used to treat Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
IP Standard: An MoU was signed by India and Botswana to recognize the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) as a reference “book of standards” for medicines in Botswana, becoming the 18th country to recognize the IP as a Pharmacopoeial standard.
- Under the MoU, Botswana will trust the IP standards for medicine, which could reduce the need for duplicative testing.
- The other countries that recognized IP standards, include Afghanistan(1st country in 2019), Ghana, Nepal, Mauritius, Suriname, Nicaragua, Bhutan, Mozambique, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Nauru, Malawi, Guyana, Fiji, Cuba, Trinidad & Tobago, and Maldives.
8 Cheetahs Donated for Project Cheetah:
Visit : On November 13, 2025, President Draupadi Murmu, along with Botswana President Duma Boko, visited the Molokodi Nature Reserve.
Cheetah Release:The two leaders witnessed experts from India and Botswana release eight cheetahs, captured from the Ghanzi region, into a quarantine facility, marking Botswana’s symbolic donation of the animals to India under Project Cheetah.
Destination: The eight cheetahs will be transferred to Kuno National Park (NP), Madhya Pradesh (MP), where the earlier batches of cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa were introduced.
Note: Project Cheetah aims to reintroduce the species after it became extinct in India in 1952.
Trade Ties:
Trade Partner: India is one of Botswana’s major trading partners, with bilateral trade standing at around USD 500 million annually, largely driven by the diamond sector.
Diamond Trade: India imports rough diamonds from Botswana, processes them in centres like Surat(Gujarat), and then re-exports them to global markets.
About Botswana:
President – Duma Gideon Boko
Capital – Gaborone
Currency – Botswana Pula(BWP)
