Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Namibia as part of his five-country outreach tour. Namibia, rich in minerals such as uranium and diamonds, holds strategic importance for India.

Modi is visiting Namibia at the invitation of President Nandi-Ndaitwah, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a press release in New Delhi ahead of Modi’s five-nation tour to Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, Brazil and Namibia.During his visit, the prime minister will hold bilateral talks with President Nandi-Ndaitwah.

Namibia has the world’s richest known marine diamond deposits, estimated at over 80 million carats. Currently, Namibia’s rough diamonds reach India indirectly through hubs like London and Antwerp. During this visit, PM Modi is expected to explore ways to establish more direct diamond trade links between the two countries.

India has invested more than $ 800 million (about ₹ 6,600 crores) in Namibia in many sectors including mining, manufacturing, diamond processing and services.Apart from diamonds, cobalt, lithium and rare earth elements and minerals are found in Namibia, which are important for India to move towards clean energy.

Bilateral trade has shown strong growth. In 2022-23, trade stood at $278 million, with India’s exports at $240 million. From April to November 2023, two-way trade surged by 178%, reaching $654 million. India’s exports totaled $418 million, while imports from Namibia were $235 million.