Rwanda today invited Indian investments and resources to upgrade technical and industrial skills to help transform the country into a knowledge-based economy.

A 25-member business delegation from the East African country, accompanied by Infrastructure Minister Vincent Karega, is currently in India scouting for partners and investors to give a boost to the soft and physical infrastructure sectors back home.

The officials from Rwanda made a strong pitch for Indian investment and said that their country has been ranked as the top global business reformer by the World Bank this year and in the past five years, the average GDP growth has been 7.1 per cent.

Rwanda, whose economy is currently driven by agriculture, sought Indian skills and expertise in the areas of information and communication technology (ICT), food processing, mining, higher education and silk.

Urging India to lend a hand in the socio-economic transformation of Rwanda, which has a population of 11 million, Karega said: "You are the best partners to have in this difficult journey of change. We want to be industrialised".

Officials of the Rwanda Development Board invited Indian engagement in building an ICT park, developing the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, railway and airport projects, among others.

High Commissioner of Rwanda Williams Nkurunziz said: "We seek skills and wisdom you have in this (ICT) sector," referring to Bangalore's leadership position in this field.

On the occasion, the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) signed an MoU with Rwanda's Private Sector Federation on investment and trade promotion.

The Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association signed a similar agreement with Rwanda to train Rwandan entrepreneurs, and promote that country as an small and medium enterprise hub, while All India Granites and Stone Association inked an MoU to promote cooperation in the area of mining and granites.