The President was given a warm send off by Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Secretary R K Singh, Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma, representatives from South Africa and Seychelles Embassies and others.
Patil, possibly on her last foreign visit before she retires on July 25, will reach Seychelles in the first leg of her tour. She would be in South Africa from May 1 to 7. India's ties with South Africa are enjoined by a strategic partnership.
This will be the second Presidential visit to Seychelles, the strategically located island in Indian Ocean, after that of President R Venkataraman way back in 1989.
In Seychelles, Patil will have a meeting with her counterpart James Alix Michel during which various aspects of bilateral relations and regional and international issues are expected to be discussed.
A highlight of the Seychelles visit is that the President will address the Special Session of the National Assembly.
Patil's visit to South Africa is another indication of New Delhi's growing ties with Pretoria. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had visited the country in October last year for the IBSA Summit.
South Africa President Jacob Zuma was in New Delhi last month for the BRICS Summit and had paid a state visit to India in June 2010 in what was then his first bilateral visit to any Asian country.
A business delegation is also accompanying Patil that will address the India-South Africa Business Forum meet.
Trade between India and South Africa was pegged at over USD 11 billion in 2010-11, of which imports were more than seven billion and exports around four billion.
The trade turnover target has been revised to USD 15 billion by 2014. (More) PTI SPG RBT
