India-Namibia Trade Rises to $593 Million

• Bilateral merchandise trade reached USD 592.94 million in 2025-26.
• India’s engineering exports to Namibia surged 124.06% to USD 30.24 million.
• New working groups on services and health were agreed.
• Cooperation will expand across critical minerals, digital payments, energy and infrastructure.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 11th Aug: India and Namibia have agreed to deepen bilateral economic cooperation across services, healthcare, critical minerals, digital payments, energy and infrastructure as bilateral merchandise trade rose to USD 592.94 million in 2025-26.

The agreements were reached during the Fourth Session of the India-Namibia Joint Trade Committee (JTC) held in New Delhi on August 10-11. The Agreed Minutes of the session were signed on Tuesday by the two co-chairs.

The Indian delegation was led by Amit Kumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce, while the Namibian delegation was headed by Ndiitah Nghipondoka-Robiati, Executive Director, Ministry of International Relations and Trade.

Both sides stressed the need to move bilateral trade beyond a raw-material-based structure towards greater value addition within Namibia, with concrete mechanisms, timelines and responsibilities.

Trade and investment
Bilateral merchandise trade increased from USD 568.40 million in 2024-25 to USD 592.94 million in 2025-26. India’s exports stood at USD 349.09 million, while imports from Namibia were USD 243.85 million.

Trade in services also grew by 7.34% to USD 380 million in 2024.
India’s engineering exports to Namibia rose by 124.06% to USD 30.24 million, driven largely by motor vehicles and components. Pharmaceutical and medical device exports reached USD 36.50 million, making India Namibia’s second-largest pharmaceutical source with a 16.4% share.

Invest India and the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board were designated as investment focal points, with each side nominating an official for the mechanism.

New cooperation in services and healthcare
The two countries agreed to establish a dedicated Services Working Group, which will meet no later than February 2027 and submit its work plan to the JTC.

Under the existing health cooperation agreement, the first Joint Working Group on Health and Medicine is expected to be convened by December 2026. Cooperation on expanding the Janaushadhi initiative in Namibia is also being advanced, with an agreement involving HLL Lifecare Limited at an advanced stage of finalisation.

Critical minerals and digital payments
India and Namibia identified opportunities for structured cooperation in the exploration, offtake, processing and downstream beneficiation of lithium, graphite, copper, cobalt and rare earth elements.

The discussions also covered the continued rollout of Namibia’s instant payment system based on India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), launched as WayaMe in June 2026. The two sides also discussed a proposed FinTech Cooperation Framework between the Reserve Bank of India and the Bank of Namibia.

Cooperation was further identified in railways and rolling stock, renewable energy, battery storage, transmission, green hydrogen, biofuels and desalination.

India-SACU trade negotiations
The two sides also finalised the Terms of Reference for the India-Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA). The terms are scheduled for signature on August 12, with negotiations expected to begin within a month and conclude within one year.

The JTC also reviewed cooperation in agriculture and food security, MSMEs, textiles, tourism and sports.

The Fifth Session of the India-Namibia Joint Trade Committee is scheduled to be held in Namibia in 2028, with dates to be finalised through diplomatic channels.