NAMIBIA, a country with great scope for bilateral trading opportunities in minerals, mines, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and industrial development, has attracted the keen interest of some Indian companies.
This was said at the India-Namibia Conference 2022 that was organised by the Indian Economic Trade Organisation (Ieto) in association with the India Africa Trade Council (IATC).
The conference was recently attended by Namibia's business community.
"India's exports to Namibia amount to US$206 million (about N$3,56 billion) for mainly petroleum products. When it comes to imports, India has become Namibia's second-largest partner after South Africa," Asif Iqbal, the president of the Indian Economic Trade Organisation, said.
"Namibia and India share long-standing historical ties, as India was at the forefront of supporting Namibia's struggle for independence. We want to have Indian exports to be the main focus to balance this gap and increase the export revenue," he said.
The Ieto delegation last week participated in the Namibia Mining Expo 2022, which saw many companies from around the world taking part.
Kamaldeep Gill, the commissioner of agriculture of the India Africa Trade Council, spoke about India's efforts in strengthening relations against the background of India celebrating 75 years of independence.
"As the commissioner of agriculture, my goal is to build bilateral relations reaching new heights between India and Namibia. Our forthcoming Africa agriculture conference in November 2022 will see tremendous interest from the Indian side," he said.
Gill assured African nations of India's cooperation, and encouraged them to make the services of agricultural expertise available for furthering the bilateral, economic and trade relations between Africa and India.
Deputy prime minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah visited India in August during the Africa Exim Bank conclave and met vice president Venkaiah Naidu and other top government officials.
India and Namibia signed three agreements at the time, which are related to wildlife conservation, sustainable biodiversity utilisation and the employment of diplomatic spouses or dependants.
As part of the wildlife pact, India was to obtain eight African cheetahs for captive breeding in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park in August 2022, making it the world's first agreement for the transcontinental transfer of such a large number of carnivorous animals.
The agreement between the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) and the Namibian Police Forensic Science Institute (NPFSI) will see India offering Namibia customised training in the fields of forensic science, cybersecurity, digital forensics, wildlife crime investigation, and homeland security.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Iqbal said thousands of Indians now know about Namibia and want to visit the beautiful country.
The delegation saw more agreements signed in the areas of forestry, tourism and hospitality, solar energy and pharma products.
India has a large market for Namibian diamonds, with high potential for bilateral trading in the areas of skills development, affordable housing, agriculture, minerals and gold.
The Indian high commissioner in Namibia, Shri Prashant Agrawal, met various business delegations in the last year and had arranged meetings at the high commission which saw many Indian and Namibian companies collaborating.
Former minister of health and social services Bernard Haufiku also participated in the conference and emphasised the collaborative efforts in the health sector.
