India invites Ethiopia to collaborate on Unified Payment Interface of India with Ethswitch of Ethiopia

India urges Ethiopia to explore settlement of trade transactions in local currency to boost bilateral trade and conserve foreign exchange

MoUs on Standardization & Quality assurance and Customs procedure to be expedited

The 6th Session of India-Ethiopia Joint Trade Committee (JTC) was conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 6-7 November, 2023. The meeting was co chaired by the Economic Advisor, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, Ms. Priya P. Nair and the Lead Executive of the International and Regional Trade Integration, Ministry of Trade & Regional Integration, Ethiopia, Mr. Tages Mulugeta. Ambassador of India to Ethiopia, Shri Robert Shetkintong and other senior officials from both sides also participated in the JTC.

Both sides agreed to expeditiously address all issues impeding bilateral trade and facilitate trade promotion between the two countries. The Indian side invited the Ethiopian side to collaborate on the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) of India with Ethswitch of Ethiopia. Further, the Indian side also  urged Ethiopia to explore the possibility of settlement of trade transactions in local currency which will help boost bilateral trade and conserve foreign exchange. The deliberations of the 6th Sessions of India-Ethiopia JTC were cordial and forward-looking, reflecting the traditionally friendly and special relations between the two countries.

Both sides undertook a detailed review of recent developments in bilateral trade and investment ties and noted that the relationship has a huge potential to be scaled up even further.  To this effect, both sides identified several areas of focus for enhancing both bilateral trade as well as mutually beneficial investments. These include health and pharmaceuticals, automobiles, textiles, infrastructure projects, food and agro processing and so on. Both sides also reviewed the progress of ongoing discussions for Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) in the field of Standardization & Quality assurance and Customs procedure and agreed to conclude them expeditiously. The Indian side also requested the Ethiopian side to expedite the early finalization of the Bilateral Investment Treaty.

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is one of the fastest growing economies in the African region, with an estimated growth of 6.4% in the year 2021-22. Bilateral trade between India and Ethiopia stood at USD 642.59 million in 2022-23. India is the second largest exporter to Ethiopia. Indian companies are among the top three foreign investors in Ethiopia with existing Indian investment of USD 5 billion of which, about USD 3-4 billion is estimated to be on the ground. Indian companies have invested in various sectors like agriculture and floriculture, engineering, plastics, manufacturing, cotton and textiles, water management, pharmaceuticals and healthcare.

Payment system integration urged to link national instant payment platforms, enabling local currency trade settlement and deeper bilateral commerce. India invited Ethiopia to collaborate on integrating the Unified Payment Interface with Ethswitch and urged exploration of local currency settlement for trade; both sides agreed to expedite MoUs on standardization and quality assurance and on customs procedure and to accelerate conclusion of a Bilateral Investment Treaty while focusing cooperation on sectors such as health, automobiles, textiles, infrastructure and agro-processing to boost bilateral trade and investment.