President Droupadi Murmu, during her historic state visit to Angola, underscored India’s growing technological capabilities and expanding global partnerships, stating that India is ready to supply its indigenous Vande Bharat high-speed trains to the Southern African nation. Her remarks came during bilateral discussions with Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço in Luanda, where both sides focused on strengthening cooperation in technology, skills, infrastructure, and shared developmental priorities.

President Murmu highlighted the transformative impact of the Made-in-India Vande Bharat trains on the domestic rail network and proposed that Angola could also benefit from these next-generation mobility solutions. She pointed to demographic similarities, noting that both countries have large youth populations, making skill development a critical pillar of bilateral cooperation. Ensuring that young people in both nations acquire future-ready skills, she said, must remain a priority.

The talks placed particular emphasis on exploring collaboration in high-speed rail systems, reflecting India’s growing expertise in modern transportation infrastructure. India positioned itself as a partner capable of supporting Angola’s long-term connectivity and development ambitions through technology transfer and capacity building.

President Murmu received a ceremonial welcome at the Presidential Palace in Luanda, complete with a Guard of Honour, underscoring the importance Angola attached to the visit. The warm reception set the tone for substantive dialogue aimed at expanding the scope of India-Angola cooperation.

The discussions covered a range of sectors in which the two nations see strong complementarities. Key potential areas of collaboration included parliamentary exchanges, agriculture—particularly seeds and fertilisers—oil exploration and refining, connectivity and transportation infrastructure, rare earth minerals, and diamond processing. President Murmu reiterated India’s readiness to partner with Angola in each of these fields and stressed the opportunities for mutual growth.

She placed special focus on capacity building, training, digital public infrastructure, and defence cooperation. She also linked developmental cooperation with broader global governance priorities, emphasising the need for reforms in the United Nations Security Council—an issue on which India has consistently sought support from partner countries in Africa.

President Murmu commended Angola for joining two major global initiatives spearheaded by India: the Global Biofuels Alliance and the International Big Cat Alliance. She hailed these developments as examples of how bilateral ties extend beyond strategic and economic cooperation to shared commitments on sustainability, conservation, and energy transition.

To formalise ongoing and future collaboration, both countries are expected to sign multiple Memoranda of Understanding across the identified sectors. These agreements will anchor the next phase of the India-Angola partnership and provide structured pathways for cooperation.

President Murmu’s arrival in Luanda marked the first-ever state visit to Angola by an Indian head of state, representing a significant elevation in bilateral engagement. Her visit is the first leg of a two-nation tour from November 8 to 11, undertaken at the invitation of President Lourenço. The trip aligns with India’s broader diplomatic outreach to Africa and the Global South, reinforcing New Delhi’s focus on partnerships in technology, development, capacity building, and South-South cooperation.

Following her engagements in Angola, President Murmu will travel to Botswana from November 11 to 13 at the invitation of President Duma Gideon Boko. This visit will also mark the first-ever state visit by an Indian head of state to Botswana. Discussions there are expected to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, technology, energy, agriculture, health, pharmaceuticals, defence, and people-to-people exchange.

Together, the two-nation visit reflects India’s strategic effort to strengthen ties with key African partners, expand economic and technological cooperation, and enhance its role as a development partner across the Global South.