India seeks critical minerals from Namibia – envoy

New Delhi is considering importing uranium from the African nation and hopes to expand trade

India is considering importing uranium and other critical minerals from Namibia, while pursuing a wider trade partnership with the African nation, New Delhi’s envoy in Windhoek said on Tuesday.

Speaking to the news outlet ANI ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s one-day state visit to the country, top diplomat Rahul Shrivastava said the two nations enjoyed very good relations and that India was one of the first to support Namibian independence.

“We are interested in critical minerals in Namibia, and some of our PSUs (public sector undertakings) would want to invest here,” Shrivastava told ANI. “We are looking at the export of uranium from Namibia to India.”

New Delhi has been scouting for critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and copper from countries such as Zambia, Congo, and Australia. “Through our missions, we are working on trying to get critical mineral assets for exploration and mining,” Indian Mines Secretary V.L. Kantha Rao said in February. 

Modi, who arrived in Windhoek on Wednesday after attending the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, will discuss a variety of trade-related issues with Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. 

❗️Namibia Shows Flexibility in Warm Welcome for Indian PM Narendra Modi#Yoga https://t.co/XUJWPIE8cm pic.twitter.com/K58QH8J9tP

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In his interview with ANI, Shrivastava said that there had been recent oil and gas discoveries in Namibia and that this was an “area of interest” for India. 

The African country has expressed an interest in buying Indian-manufactured weaponry. ”We will be discussing defense cooperation because Namibia wants to procure defense items from India, and capacity building is one of the important pillars of India-Namibia relations that we will also enhance during the visit,” Shrivastava added.

During his trip, Modi will pay homage to the founding father of Namibia, Dr Sam Nujoma, address the country's parliament, and interact with the Indian diaspora. He is the first Indian prime minister to visit the African nation in 27 years.