The EAC consists of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
Community but said the engagement with EAC members would "not be purely bilateral" as it may effect other countries in the regional inter-governmental grouping.
"EAC is taking shape as an economic community and to some extent as a political community and so many of our initiatives will not be purely bilateral as it will have effects on other members of the EAC," Ansari said.
The EAC consists of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. With a sizeable population, a land area of 1.85 million sq km, and a combined GDP of USD 41 billion, it bears a great strategic and geopolitical significance.
Acknowledging India's trade imbalance with Uganda, Ansari suggested ways to address it. "There are two ways for it. One is from the Ugandan side, and they can bridge the gap by broadening the trade basket for India as they export a lot of thing things to us but their trade basket is limited.
"Second is by Indian companies and local investors finishing goods in Uganda rather than sending the finished goods from India," he said.
Ansari said there are "enormous possibilities for development cooperation with Africa", consisting 54 countries and home to a population of one billion.
During Ansari's visit, Uganda pitched itself as a business destination for India. President Museveni called on the Indian automobile companies to manufacture locally.
"The President (Museveni) was particularly emphatic in pointing out that the Indian manufacturers in a wide range of areas can benefit very considerably, and what the Minister (of Trade and Industry, Uganda) said a few minutes back, my factoring in the thought that they are not looking at a modest market in Uganda only, but on a much wider market of the Eastern African Community and surrounding areas," Ansari said at the India-Ugnada Business Forum.
"So, you are looking at the market of not just 28 or 30 million people (Uganda) but 350 million people (East Africa)," he said.
Museveni has said the bilateral trade between India and Uganda stands at USD 1 billion and USD 57 million respectively, meaning a trade deficit of USD 43 million for Uganda.
(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
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