New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI) India is a global frontrunner in the field of generic medicines on a scale, commanding a 20 per cent share in global supply by volume, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday.

In his address at the India-Kenya Trade and Investment Forum here in the presence of visiting Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto, he also highlighted the deep and strong historical, cultural and trade ties between India and Kenya.

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Mandaviya said our entrepreneurs "find it easier to do business with each other. This historically established trust has also encouraged many Indians to settle in Kenya".

He emphasised on healthcare and pharmaceuticals as two important sectors where India has made the most advances and the people of Kenya can benefit from it.

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"India also stayed true to its reputation of being the 'pharmacy of the world' by supplying almost 100 countries with vaccines and 150 countries - including from the developed world - with increased supply of relevant medicines," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Ruto stated that Kenya established relations with India in 1911, even before India attained independence, adding Kenyans and Indians are "one people" situated in two different geographical regions.

Pitching Indian industries as natural partners for Kenya, Mandaviya said, "For the people of Kenya, India is the biggest destination for medical treatment. Over the years, India has grown to become a premier destination for medical value travel since it scores high over a range of factors that determine the overall quality of care."

He said the government has launched a portal to promote medical value travel and this platform will facilitate treatment in India for foreign nationals across the globe.

"India's cost-effective and quality pharmaceuticals and healthcare systems have made healthcare more accessible to people in Kenya and worldwide. We are happy to facilitate this further," he stated.

Mandaviya also touched upon other initiatives taken by India including on digital economy and renewable energy.

He urged Indian and Kenyan enterprises to cooperate in these sectors for the mutual benefit of both the countries. He also welcomed Kenya's decision to join the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuels Alliance and congratulated them on the successful advocacy for the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20.

India is the third largest trading partner of Kenya, after China and the UAE. India-Kenya bilateral trade is worth 3.39 billion USD with Indian exports worth 3.274 billion and imports worth 116.6 million, the health ministry said in a statement.

According to the Kenya Investment Authority, India is one of the top investors in Kenya.

Over 200 Indian companies are present in various sectors including manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, telecom, IT and ITES, banking and agro-based industries.

Indian companies with presence in Kenya include PSUs like Bank of Baroda, Bank of India and KenIndia Assurance, and private companies like Bharti Airtel, Air India, Indigo Airlines, Tata Motors, Tata Chemicals, Mahindra and Mahindra, Thermax, Godrej, representative offices of Indian hospital chains, IT companies like Mahindra Tech and Zoho, Agri-company UPL, and over 200 Indian pharma companies registered in Kenya for mostly trade.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)