Namibia First To Adopt UPI Globally Via Licensing Agreement As PM Modi Pushes Strategic Ties, Critical Mineral Access

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Namibia on Wednesday (9 July), two MoUs were signed on health and on establishing an Entrepreneurship Development Centre, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Namibia also became the first country to adopt India’s UPI digital payment system via a licensing agreement, and joined the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and Global Biofuels Alliance.

PM Modi met Namibian President Dr Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah during his landmark State Visit, the first by an Indian PM in 27 years and the first bilateral State Visit hosted by the new Namibian President.

PM Modi congratulated President Nandi-Ndaitwah on her election and extended condolences over the death of Namibia’s founding father, Dr Sam Nujoma.

According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, both leaders discussed deepening cooperation in defence, digital payments, agriculture, energy, health, and critical minerals.

Modi thanked Namibia for its role in India’s cheetah conservation project and invited it to join the International Big Cat Alliance.

Strategically, the visit comes as India seeks to reduce dependency on China for rare earth minerals. 

Namibia, a top global uranium producer with untapped lithium and cobalt reserves, is central to India’s critical mineral diversification.

India aims to revive a dormant 2009 uranium supply deal and invest in Namibia’s mining sector.

Namibia’s importance is heightened by China’s dominance, controlling over 90 per cent of global rare earth processing and recently imposing export curbs on key materials.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah hosted a banquet in Modi’s honour. Modi, in turn, invited her to visit India soon, affirming a long-term, mutually beneficial partnership.

List of outcomes published by Ministry of External Affairs on Prime Minister’s visit to Namibia are as follows:

MOUs/Agreements:

1. MoU on setting up of Entrepreneurship Development Center in Namibia

2. ⁠MoU on Cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine

Announcements:

1. Namibia submitted letter of acceptance for joining CDRI (Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure)

2. ⁠Namibia submitted a letter of acceptance for joining of Global Biofuels Alliance

3. Namibia becomes the first country globally to sign licensing agreement to adopt UPI technology

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