India’s message for Global South in Namibia: Building Together, Not Competing

India’s Prime Minister highlighted India’s approach towards global diplomacy and South-South cooperation in his address at the Namibian Parliament in July 2025.

Standing before the Namibian Parliament, the PM of India articulated a vision that has been reshaping international relations: “With Africa, we seek not to compete, but to cooperate. Our goal is to build together.”

The India-Namibia partnership exemplifies this approach to global diplomacy. From the world’s first intercontinental cheetah translocation project to Namibia becoming the first country to adopt India’s digital payment system, this relationship demonstrates how South-South cooperation can produce tangible results that benefit everyone involved.

Five-Nation Diplomatic Push

Indian Prime Minister’s July 2025 visit to Namibia was the final stop in a comprehensive five-nation tour that included Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, and Brazil. This tour held particular significance for India’s evolving foreign policy approach.

The visit to Ghana marked the first bilateral Prime Ministerial visit from India in three decades. During this engagement, four key agreements were signed, including cultural exchange programs, cooperation in traditional medicine between Ghana’s Institute of Traditional and Alternative Medicine and India’s Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, and establishing joint commission meetings at the foreign office level.

In Namibia, the outcomes were equally substantial. Two major agreements were signed: one for establishing an Entrepreneurship Development Centre and another for cooperation in health and medicine. What this really demonstrates is India’s strategic pivot toward Africa for South-South cooperation. These are more than diplomatic visits. They’re real-world examples of how developing nations can collaborate without the traditional donor-recipient dynamic.

What South-South Cooperation Actually Means

Before understanding South-South Cooperation, we need to understand the Global South. In simple words, it refers to technically and socially developing and less developed countries primarily in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Now, South-South cooperation sounds like diplomatic jargon, but it represents a fundamentally different approach to international relations. Traditional North-South partnerships often involve wealthy nations providing aid to developing countries, creating dependency relationships. South-South cooperation focuses on developing nations sharing knowledge, technology, and resources as equals. 

Let’s break down what this looks like in practice. When India extends lines of credit to African countries, it’s more than economic aid. These agreements focus on building local capacity, training local workers, and transferring technology that recipients can eventually manage independently. 

This approach recognises a simple truth: developing nations often understand each other’s challenges better than wealthy countries do. For example, over 1,700 Namibians have benefited from training programs in India, including specialised courses at the India-Namibia Centre of Excellence in Information Technology. 

Beyond Aid: Building Capabilities

India has extended over $12 billion in lines of credit across 206 projects in 43 African countries. But here’s the key difference from traditional aid: these projects emphasise skills transfer and local capacity building.

Take the India-Africa Framework for Cooperation, which focuses on human resource development. The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation program trains thousands of African professionals annually across diverse fields. IIT Madras established its Zanzibar campus in 2023. It was aimed at creating a centre of excellence that could eventually serve the entire East African region.

This approach aligns with Africa’s Agenda 2063 goals, which emphasise human capital development as crucial for industrialisation. Unlike initiatives by other countries that usually focus on resource extraction or infrastructure loans, India’s engagement prioritises developing local expertise.

Redefining India-Africa relations via Strategic Economic Partnership

The economic dimension of India-Africa relations tells a compelling story. Bilateral trade between India and Africa has reached $100 billion annually, with cumulative Indian investments totalling $80 billion. The goal is to double trade to $200 billion by 2030.

But numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. What matters is how this trade develops. The Indian Prime Minister’s emphasis on value creation rather than raw material extraction signals a different approach. India wants African partners to move up the value chain, becoming manufacturers and innovators rather than just suppliers of commodities.

During his Ghana visit, India’s PM pledged support for developing Ghana as a food basket for regional food security. In Namibia, agreements were signed to establish an Entrepreneurship Development Centre, leveraging India’s experience in fostering innovation and business development.

Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Cooperation

Healthcare cooperation represents another pillar of India-Africa South-South partnership. Indian pharmaceutical companies supply approximately 18.5% of India’s total exports to Africa, making affordable generic medicines accessible across the continent.

During the recent visit, discussions included implementing schemes like Jan Aushadhi for affordable medicines in Namibia. Ghana has expressed interest in becoming a hub for vaccine production with Indian support, leveraging India’s advanced pharmaceutical capabilities.

This cooperation model works because it addresses real needs with practical solutions. African countries get access to affordable healthcare, while Indian companies gain market access. The partnership also includes technology transfer and capacity building, ensuring that Africa develops its pharmaceutical capabilities over time.

Geopolitical Dimension

Africa’s strategic importance extends beyond economics. With 54 countries representing over a quarter of UN members, Africa wields significant influence in international forums. India’s successful campaign to secure the African Union’s permanent G20 membership during its 2023 presidency demonstrated this reality.

This diplomatic achievement benefits everyone involved. Africa gains a stronger voice in global economic governance, while India establishes itself as a representative of the voice of the Global South. Unlike traditional power dynamics, where one side dominates, this creates a coalition of developing nations that can shape international norms together.

The maritime dimension also matters. Africa’s position in the Indian Ocean Region affects India’s trade routes and naval security. India’s establishment of its first overseas naval base in Mauritius in 2024 reflects this strategic reality, but it’s being developed through partnership rather than imposition.

Challenges and Assessment

South-South cooperation faces real obstacles. The nine-year gap since the last India-Africa Forum Summit reflects periods of strategic inertia that can undermine long-term partnerships. Moreover, geopolitical competition creates additional challenges. China’s Belt and Road Initiative creates a challenge for India’s engagement through sheer financial scale. Africa’s complex security landscape, highlighted by nine coups between 2020 and 2023, creates unstable environments that complicate long-term planning.

Infrastructure bottlenecks inherited from colonial rule continue to raise transaction costs and limit market access. Africa’s debt crisis, with debt-to-GDP ratios doubling from 30% to 60% in Sub-Saharan Africa, constrains financial cooperation despite India’s substantial credit lines.

Conclusion

The Indian Prime Minister’s  engagement with the Global South reflects a broader vision for South-South cooperation. India’s role in securing the African Union’s permanent membership in the G20 demonstrates this commitment to amplifying voices of the Global South in international  governance.

This isn’t just about India and Africa. It’s about creating alternative models of international cooperation that don’t rely on traditional power hierarchies. When developing nations work together as equals, they can address shared challenges more effectively compared to traditional aid relationships.

The India-Africa partnership proves that South-South cooperation can deliver concrete results. From digital payments to wildlife conservation, from healthcare to entrepreneurship development, these partnerships are creating new possibilities for global development.

As Africa’s influence grows and India’s economy expands, this relationship will likely become even more significant. The foundation of trust, shared experience, and mutual benefit creates a sustainable basis for long-term partnership. Most importantly, it demonstrates that the future of international relations doesn’t have to be defined by power and dominance, but can be shaped by partnership and dialogue.

The India-Africa partnership proves that South-South cooperation can produce tangible benefits for all involved. Continue to Master International Relations & Diplomacy Trends with VisionIAS Comprehensive Current Affairs →