Modi Emphasizes Partnership Over Competition in Namibia Visit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded the final leg of his five-nation tour with a historic visit to Namibia, where he underlined India’s commitment to building cooperative, not competitive, relations with Africa. Addressing a joint session of Namibia’s Parliament in Windhoek, Modi reaffirmed that India’s vision for Africa is rooted in equality, mutual growth, and shared prosperity.
Welcomed with enthusiastic chants of “Modi, Modi,” the Prime Minister stressed that India is in Africa not to seek power or profit, but to foster trust and long-term development. He invoked India’s ten foundational principles of Africa engagement, calling for partnerships that are guided by respect and not rivalry.
Modi Africa
Modi outlined a future of collaboration spanning defence, critical minerals, climate adaptation, maritime security, and digital innovation. He praised Namibia’s Vision 2030 and Harambee Prosperity Plan, aligning India’s support with Namibia’s national priorities. As part of deepening digital cooperation, he announced that Namibia would become the first country to adopt India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), enabling seamless financial inclusion across remote communities.
India Namibia
The Prime Minister highlighted India’s growing development partnership with Africa, which now exceeds $12 billion in assistance. In Namibia, this includes the supply of India’s indigenous Bhabhatron radiotherapy machines to bolster cancer care and an invitation to join India’s Jan Aushadhi scheme to reduce medicine costs by up to 80%. Defence collaboration was also spotlighted, with India continuing to train Namibian Air Force personnel and support institutional capacity-building.
Modi’s speech was rich in references to India’s role in Namibia’s post-independence journey, from training peacekeepers to supporting UN-led efforts. As a symbol of bilateral warmth, Namibia conferred on Modi the Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis, one of its highest civilian honours.
UPI Rollout and Strategic Shift
The visit also signals India’s broader Africa strategy—focused on digital tools, strategic security partnerships, and equitable trade rather than extraction. Modi’s message stood in stark contrast to transactional models of foreign engagement and was aimed at positioning India as a trustworthy and long-term development partner for African nations.
The India-Namibia partnership is now set to expand into more domains, from renewable energy and green hydrogen to youth skill development and local manufacturing. Modi’s outreach reinforces India’s evolving role in Africa—as a friend, not a patron; a partner, not a player in a zero-sum game.
