From Cheetahs to Chips

Modi’s charm offensive in Namibia is part of a broader strategy to reclaim India’s role in Africa.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood before Namibia’s Parliament this week and invoked the memory of India’s support for African independence, he was offering a vision wrapped in symbolism and strategic intent for a new India–Africa partnership. It was the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Namibia, and it capped a five-nation tour aimed at bolstering New Delhi’s footprint across continents.

India and Namibia share a history laced with principle and pragmatism. As early as 1946, even before its own independence, India raised the question of South West Africa’s freedom at the United Nations. It was an Indian general, Dewan Prem Chand, who led the UN peacekeeping force that helped midwife Namibia’s birth as a nation in 1990. But in recent decades, India’s engagement with Africa, rhetorically warm but practically patchy, has fallen behind its ambitions. China’s highways, railways and tech infrastructure dominate the continental landscape. Even Russia, Turkey and the Gulf states have proved more agile in courting African capitals. India, by contrast, has too often appeared content to rest on the laurels of its anti-colonial credentials.

Modi’s address in Windhoek was an attempt to correct course. His speech may have had China in mind, but they also sought to distinguish India’s approach from that of extractive powers, past and present. Africa, he argued, should not remain a “source of raw materials” but emerge as a hub of “value creation and sustainable growth.” This framing mirrors India’s own aspirations to transition from a resource-dependent economy to one anchored in manufacturing, services and strategic autonomy. In Africa, it now seeks a partner on the same trajectory.

Namibia is a good place to start. Rich in uranium, lithium and rare earths, its mineral wealth is essential to the green and digital transitions. Indian firms have begun eyeing joint ventures in mining and clean energy. The two countries discussed collaboration in digital payments (Namibia has adopted India’s UPI system) and critical minerals. India’s offer to help build manufacturing facilities and train Namibian experts echoes its playbook elsewhere in the Global South, combining capacity-building with economic diplomacy.

The emotional warmth on display was striking. Modi was conferred Namibia’s highest civilian award. But India cannot afford to mistake affection for influence. It still lags behind China by most economic metrics in Africa: bilateral trade, foreign direct investment, infrastructure development. Beijing’s footprint is omnipresent, from ports in Kenya to digital networks in Nigeria. Its Belt and Road Initiative has, despite mounting debt concerns, cemented long-term economic dependencies across the continent.

India’s advantage lies elsewhere. It brings no colonial baggage. Its model is less about debt-financed megaprojects than frugal innovation. And its emphasis on shared democratic values offers a compelling counterpoint to authoritarian enticements. Moreover, India’s credentials in healthcare, IT, education and digital public goods resonate in countries hungry for affordable, scalable solutions.

Still, challenges abound. India’s Africa strategy lacks the institutional heft and long-term coherence of China’s. Its private sector, though ambitious, often shies away from African markets due to concerns about political risk and lack of financing support. Bureaucratic inertia and capacity constraints limit the scale and speed of delivery. If Modi’s tour is to herald a new era, India will need to consistently marry its moral authority with economic muscle.

The geopolitical backdrop is also shifting. The West’s strategic retreat, China’s economic slowdown and rising African assertiveness are creating space for India to shape the rules. The Global South, of which both India and Namibia are vocal members, is becoming more than a slogan.

Whether it is cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh, lithium in the Namib desert, or digital transactions across continents, the India–Africa relationship is being rebooted. If New Delhi can match its rhetoric with resources it may yet find itself not just welcomed, but needed in Africa’s future.