Namibia will roll out India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) later this year, marking a significant step in enhancing digital cooperation between the two countries. The announcement came on Wednesday after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah aimed at boosting bilateral relations.
The Modi-Ndaitwah meeting focused on enhancing cooperation in key sectors such as digital technology, defence, security, agriculture, healthcare, education, and critical minerals. The UPI rollout stems from a technology licensing agreement signed between the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and the Bank of Namibia in April last year.
During the bilateral discussions, India and Namibia signed several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), including one for establishing an Entrepreneurship Development Center in Namibia and another for cooperation in the field of health and medicine.
Namibia has also joined two major India-backed global initiatives — the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the Global Biofuels Alliance. CDRI focuses on improving infrastructure resilience to climate and disaster-related risks, and includes participation from national governments, international organizations, and the private sector.