India, NMG partner to promote rural growth
The Managing Director of Nation Media Group-Uganda, Mr Tony Glencross (left), receives a plaque from Mr Ajay Kumar, the Indian High Commissioner to Uganda, at Monitor offices in Namuwongo, Kampala, yesterday. PHOTO | STEPHEN OTAGE
What you need to know:
- Kumar, a 2001-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, was serving as the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, before being appointed India High Commissioner to Uganda.
The Indian High Commission has asked the Nation Media Group-Uganda (NMG-U) to create awareness about technologies which have helped India to industrialise its rural areas.
Mr Ajay Kumar, the new Indian High Commissioner to Uganda, said NMG-U’s different platforms such as newspapers, magazines, radios and television can help give more coverage about Indian rural based technologies in water and energy sector from which Ugandans can benefit.
“India is the second largest country [in the world] with startups. We have many rural-based technologies which help agrarian countries in water and solar electricity. When these developments are reported in Ugandan media, people of Uganda can benefit,” he said yesterday during a visit to the Monitor Publications Ltd (MPL), a subsidiary of NMG-U.
Mr Kumar added that in his three-year tour of duty in Uganda, his agenda is mainly to promote SMEs, startups, rural agro based industries, trade between Uganda and India as well as development cooperation.
He explained that despite Uganda having the best place to see mountain gorillas and the best tourism attractions, very little is known about the East African country in India save for the 1972 expulsion of Indians.
Mr Tony Glencross, the Managing Director of NMG-U, hailed the Indian High Commission for the continued good working relations with the media company.
He said despite the perception of Daily Monitor as a pro-opposition newspaper, the newspaper promotes the development of Uganda, a reason why since 2005, it has been rated as the most balanced newspaper by researchers.
Mr Glencross explained that magazines such as Prosper, Seeds of Gold and the tourism features in the Saturday Monitor are meant to promote development. He added that the company annually organises events such as the Climate Change Symposium, the Thought Leaders’ Forum and Seeds of Gold farm clinics to expose Ugandans to opportunities to transform themselves.
“We have five farm clinics across the country. India has unique business people. You could always bring us someone who can help us and talk to these people, especially if it is a well-known person in India,” he said.
About kumar
Kumar, a 2001-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, was serving as the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, before being appointed India High Commissioner to Uganda.
