THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, JUNE 3, 2026

India and South Africa have agreed to significantly expand bilateral cooperation in future technologies, placing Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital infrastructure and advanced manufacturing at the centre of a new phase of strategic engagement aimed at driving innovation-led growth and addressing development challenges across the Global South.

The decision emerged during high-level bilateral talks between Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Nomalungelo Gina, who led a senior delegation to New Delhi. The discussions focused on transforming the long-standing scientific partnership between the two countries into a more innovation-driven collaboration capable of delivering tangible economic and societal benefits.

Addressing the meeting at Kartavya Bhawan, Dr Jitendra Singh stressed that the next chapter of India-South Africa relations must move beyond traditional research cooperation and be shaped by emerging technologies, vibrant innovation ecosystems, startup partnerships and industry-linked research. He said both countries possess complementary strengths that can be harnessed to create affordable, scalable and inclusive technological solutions for the developing world.

Highlighting the shared historical ties, democratic values and commitment to inclusive growth that bind the two nations, Dr Singh noted that India and South Africa continue to play influential roles in shaping global discourse on science, technology and innovation through platforms such as BRICS, IBSA, G20 and IORA. He said the partnership has steadily evolved into a strategic pillar of South-South cooperation.

The Minister underscored India’s emergence as one of the world’s fastest-growing innovation ecosystems, driven by major national initiatives in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, cyber-physical systems, digital public infrastructure and startup-led innovation. He said these advancements create unprecedented opportunities for collaborative research, technology development and innovation partnerships with South Africa.

Emphasising the need for science to translate into real-world solutions, Dr Singh called for deeper engagement among research institutions, innovation agencies, startups and industries from both countries. He said future cooperation should focus not only on scientific excellence but also on technology deployment, commercialisation and measurable societal outcomes.

A major outcome of the talks was the decision to intensify collaboration in advanced materials and manufacturing, geospatial technologies and digital infrastructure, priority sectors identified under the India-South Africa Joint Committee mechanism. Both sides agreed to accelerate interactions among scientists, institutions and technical experts to convert these priority areas into concrete collaborative programmes.

The discussions also identified significant opportunities in biotechnology, genomics, vaccine development, health technologies and pandemic preparedness. Referring to lessons from recent global health crises, Dr Singh said resilient healthcare systems and stronger scientific partnerships have become more important than ever. He added that India’s expertise in biotechnology, affordable healthcare innovation and vaccine manufacturing offers considerable scope for cooperation with South Africa.

Expressing South Africa’s commitment to expanding the partnership, Dr Gina said her country views India as a trusted partner and is keen to strengthen institutional linkages, research collaboration and innovation networks across key sectors including renewable energy, hydrogen technologies, advanced manufacturing, digital technologies, health sciences and skills development.

Recalling the strong foundation of bilateral scientific engagement, Dr Gina noted that India and South Africa have already supported nearly 150 co-funded research projects across diverse disciplines. She expressed confidence that the partnership is now poised for substantial expansion in emerging technology domains and innovation-driven collaboration.

The two leaders also reviewed cooperation in astronomy, one of the flagship areas of bilateral scientific engagement. Dr Jitendra Singh highlighted the importance of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, describing it as one of the most ambitious scientific endeavours of the century and a powerful example of how international collaboration can advance scientific discovery, computing capabilities, technological innovation and human resource development.

Recognising the growing significance of multilateral scientific cooperation, Dr Singh invited South Africa to actively participate in the BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting scheduled to be held in Chennai in August 2026. He said BRICS collaboration is opening new avenues for joint research in high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, biotechnology, water resources, precision agriculture and materials science.

The South African delegation, in turn, invited India to participate in Science Forum South Africa 2026, one of Africa’s leading platforms for global scientific dialogue, knowledge exchange and innovation partnerships. Both sides welcomed the opportunity to deepen scientific engagement through regular institutional interactions and high-level exchanges.

India and South Africa have maintained a vibrant science and technology partnership since signing a bilateral agreement in 1995. Over the past three decades, cooperation has expanded across astronomy, biotechnology, health sciences, indigenous knowledge systems, renewable energy, advanced materials and earth sciences, supported by a wide range of jointly funded research initiatives.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to building a future-ready innovation partnership anchored in research excellence, technology development, startup collaboration and people-to-people scientific exchanges, with the broader objective of advancing sustainable development and strengthening the collective aspirations of the Global South.