The Fourth Session of the India-Namibia Joint Trade Committee (JTC) was held in New Delhi on 10 and 11 August 2026. The Indian delegation was led by Shri Amit Kumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the Namibian delegation by Ms. Ndiitah Nghipondoka-Robiati, Executive Director, Ministry of International Relations and Trade, Government of the Republic of Namibia. The Agreed Minutes of the Session were signed by the two Co-Chairs on 11 August 2026. The inaugural address was delivered by Shri Yashvir Singh, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce.

Both sides underlined the need to move bilateral trade beyond a raw-material-based composition towards value addition within Namibia, and to translate discussions into concrete mechanisms with defined timelines and assigned responsibilities.

Key Highlights

• Trade performance: Bilateral merchandise trade rose to USD 592.94 million in 2025-26 from USD 568.40 million in 2024-25, with India's exports at USD 349.09 million and imports at USD 243.85 million. Trade in services grew by 7.34 per cent to USD 380 million in calendar year 2024.
• Sectoral growth: India's engineering exports grew by 124.06 per cent to USD 30.24 million, led by motor vehicles and components. Exports of pharmaceuticals and medical devices reached USD 36.50 million, India being Namibia's second-largest pharmaceutical source with a 16.4 per cent share.
• Investment focal points: Invest India and the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board designated as JTC investment focal points, with a named official on each side.
• Services Working Group: A dedicated Services Working Group to be constituted, meeting no later than February 2027 and submitting its work plan to the JTC.
• Health and pharmaceuticals: First Joint Working Group under the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Health and Medicine to be convened by December 2026; the Janaushadhi cooperation agreement with HLL Lifecare Limited at an advanced stage of finalisation.
• Critical minerals: Structured cooperation identified across exploration, offtake, processing and downstream beneficiation in lithium, graphite, copper, cobalt and rare earth elements, in line with Namibia's priorities of value addition and local employment creation.
• Gems and jewellery: Namibian participation invited in India's Special Notified Zones at Surat and Mumbai and in the India Rough Gemstones Sourcing Show, together with training support in diamond cutting, polishing and jewellery design.
• Digital cooperation: Continued rollout of the instant payment system built on India's Unified Payments Interface, unveiled in Namibia as “WayaMe” on 15 June 2026, with proposals for a FinTech Cooperation Framework between the Reserve Bank of India and the Bank of Namibia.
• Energy and infrastructure: Cooperation identified in railways and rolling stock, solar and wind power, battery storage, transmission, green hydrogen, biofuels and desalination.
• India-SACU PTA: Terms of Reference finalised and scheduled for signature on 12 August 2026, with negotiations to commence within one month of signature and to conclude within one year.

The Joint Trade Committee is the principal bilateral institutional mechanism for reviewing trade, investment and economic cooperation between the two countries. Cooperation was also taken forward at the Session in agriculture and food security, MSMEs, textiles, tourism and sports. The discussions were held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere, reflecting the traditional bonds of friendship between the two countries. The Fifth Session of the JTC will be held in Namibia in 2028 on dates to be mutually agreed through diplomatic channels.

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Abhishek Dayal/Abhijith Narayanan