The event, held at the Nile Ritz-Carlton Hotel, was attended by Egypt’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population, Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, former Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, senior diplomats, foreign ambassadors, and members of the Indian community in Egypt.
Indian ambassador Suresh K. Reddy delivers his speech on the 77th Republic Day of his country
The reception underscored the growing depth of the Egypt–India strategic partnership, which has gained momentum through high-level political exchanges, expanding economic cooperation, and closer coordination on regional and global issues, including terrorism, development, and South-South cooperation.
Addressing guests, Ambassador Reddy said the occasion held special significance as it marked his first National Day reception in Egypt, where he previously served as a young diplomat three decades ago.
He noted that bilateral relations had grown “richer, deeper, and truly multi-faceted” under the leadership of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Reddy highlighted Egypt’s major milestones in 2025, including the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit, the inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum, and the conduct of parliamentary elections, describing India’s engagement as that of “a true strategic partner.”
The ambassador said 2025 was a pivotal year for the bilateral relationship, marked by several high-level visits, including a multi-party Indian parliamentary delegation to Egypt.
He expressed appreciation for President El-Sisi’s message of solidarity to Prime Minister Modi following a deadly attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, describing it as a reflection of the two countries’ shared commitment to combating terrorism.
Reddy also thanked Egyptian officials for supporting bilateral exchanges, including the visit of India’s Minister of Health J.P. Nadda, and cooperation in areas ranging from strategic dialogue to joint military exercises such as Exercise Bright Star.
Economic cooperation featured prominently in the ambassador’s remarks, with Reddy noting that more than 60 Indian manufacturing companies operate in Egypt, including TCI Sanmar, Egypt’s largest industrial investment.
He said Indian investments aligned closely with Egypt’s “Make in Egypt” strategy, contributing to job creation, technology transfer, and positioning Egypt as a regional export hub.
Key initiatives include the India–GennVax partnership, described as the region’s largest vaccine collaboration, and the establishment of Egypt’s first active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) plant using Indian technology.
Reddy also highlighted cultural cooperation, including the annual “Glimpses of India” painting festival, which engaged more than 29,000 Egyptian students across 23 governorates. Some of the artworks were displayed at the reception, while Egypt’s designation as partner country at India’s Surajkund International Crafts Fair brought more than 55 Egyptian artisans to the event.
Indian folk dance performances (photo credit of the Indian embassy)
Turning to India’s domestic achievements, the ambassador said the country had emerged as the world’s fourth-largest economy in 2025, recording strong GDP growth, record exports of $825 billion, and a decline in unemployment.
He cited major advances in digital infrastructure, including the expansion of India’s digital public platforms, the launch of an indigenous 64-bit processor, and progress in quantum computing.
India has also accelerated infrastructure development and met its climate targets ahead of schedule, with more than half of its installed power capacity now coming from non-fossil fuel sources, he said.
Reddy said India looked forward to hosting the upcoming India–Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, describing it as a new chapter in India’s engagement with the Arab world.
He welcomed Egypt’s participation in the BRICS group and said India, which chairs the bloc this year, expected continued high-level engagement both multilaterally and bilaterally.
A collection of the Indian Sari was on show at the evening (photo by Reham El-Adawi)
The event was enlivened with several Indian folk dance performances, and a ravishingly beautiful collection of the traditional Indian Sari was also on display.
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