'Secondly, the business-to-business engagement needs to be further strengthened,' Bhatia said.

This should run at least at four layers - through apex chambers such as CII and Business South Africa; through sectoral chambers and industry organisations; through banks and knowledge partners, and through individual business leaders.

The third element in Bhatia's blueprint was a speedy conclusion of bilateral agreements.

'In particular, speedy conclusion of the Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (BIPPA) would go a long way in enhancing the flow of Indian investments into South Africa and vice versa.'

'Fourthly, further efforts are needed to increase tourism-related exchanges because recent figures represent a small part of the available potential,' the diplomat said.

Tourism promotion assumes further urgency in light of the fact that South Africa would host World Soccer Cup and India would host the Commonwealth Games next year.

'Finally, it is also important both for India Inc and South Africa Inc to leverage the IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) dimension of India-South Africa relationship,' Bhatia said.

By enhancing trilateral trade and undertaking trilateral projects, business communities are now in a position to benefit themselves and also to contribute to the larger cause of faster economic development in the three countries, he added.