the sugar plant "will earn Sudan valuable foreign exchange". Citizens of Sudan are eligible for scholarships under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. Sudanese diplomats routinely attend the Professional Course for Foreign Diplomats (PCFD), organized by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. Indians in Sudan Gujarati trader Luvchand Amarchand Shah is believed to be the first Indian to settle in Sudan. Shah imported goods from India and traveled to Sudan via Aden in the early 1860s. The success and growth of his business led him to bring his relatives from Saurashtra to Sudan. These relatives in-turn invited more family and friends, leading to an increase in the Indian community in Sudan. Indians first settled in eastern Sudan, primarily Port Sudan and Suakin. Gradually, they began moving to the western regions of the country and settled in Omdurman, Kassala, Al Qadarif and Wad Medani. The Beja, a Hamitic people who account for about 5% of Sudan's population, claim to be of Indian origin. The Beja language is possibly related to ancient Prakrit. Sudanese in India As of 2013, an estimated 3000 Sudanese students study in universities in India, mainly in the cities of Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore. An estimated 30,000 Sudanese people have graduated from universities in India as of 2013. See also Embassy of India, Khartoum India–South Sudan relations References External links Embassy of India in Khartoum Sudan Sudan Bilateral relations of Sudan