Zimbabwe Looks to India's Startup Ecosystem to Unlock Technology Entrepreneurship

Zimbabwe is looking to attract Indian investment into its technology sector, expand outsourced business services and develop local capacity to process critical minerals as it seeks to strengthen its digital and industrial economy.

The opportunities were discussed by Information and Communication Technology Minister Tatenda Mavetera and Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) Chairman Busisa Moyo during an episode of The Digital Menu podcast published on November 2. Their discussions followed the India-Africa Tech and Entrepreneurship Summit, held in Harare on October 28 and 29.

Zimbabwe Targets Indian ICT Investment

Zimbabwe wants to attract Indian companies into its information and communication technology (ICT) sector, with particular interest in business process outsourcing (BPO) and knowledge process outsourcing (KPO).

The government sees potential in attracting call centres, IT support operations and other outsourced services from Indian businesses. These activities could create employment for Zimbabwean graduates and skilled professionals while generating revenue from services delivered to international clients.

ZIDA also wants to move beyond issuing investment licences by developing a pipeline of projects that can attract foreign financing. The agency plans to organise local technology companies into industry associations to improve coordination and engagement with government and international investors.

Zimbabwe's diaspora is another potential source of capital and expertise. Authorities are considering an online portal to map the qualifications and skills of Zimbabweans living abroad, with the aim of connecting them to local businesses through investment, mentorship and technical knowledge.

Critical Minerals Processing on the Agenda

The discussions also covered opportunities for Indian companies to invest in Zimbabwe's mineral-processing industry.

Harare wants to expand domestic processing rather than depend mainly on exporting unprocessed minerals. Potential areas of cooperation include supply chains serving battery, magnet and semiconductor manufacturing.

ZIDA has also raised the possibility of the Mutapa Fund taking equity stakes in Indian mineral-processing companies, although the proposal remains at the discussion stage.

For Zimbabwe, the opportunity lies in connecting its mineral resources to industries that require processed materials for energy storage, electronics and advanced manufacturing.

Lessons from India's Technology Industry

Moyo pointed to India's technology industry as an example of how a skilled workforce can support a large export-oriented services sector.

According to figures from the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), India's IT and related services industry generated US$283 billion in revenue in the 2024–2025 financial year, including US$224 billion in exports. The sector employed approximately 5.8 million people, while business process management alone generated US$54.6 billion.

Zimbabwean officials also see potential lessons in India's approach to startup financing. By December 31, 2025, the Startup India programme had recognised 207,135 startups, which had created more than 2.19 million direct jobs. Funds supported through India's Fund of Funds for Startups initiative had invested approximately US$3 billion in 1,371 companies.

Moyo highlighted access to seed funding and venture capital as major challenges for Zimbabwean technology businesses.

ZIDA's proposed investment pipeline includes opportunities in ICT services and mineral processing, with the Mutapa Fund potentially taking stakes in Indian processing companies. For Zimbabwe, the immediate task is to turn those discussions into investable projects that Indian companies can assess and finance.