Addis Ababa: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day State visit to Ethiopia comes at a carefully chosen moment in India’s foreign policy calendar. It signals New Delhi’s intent to deepen engagement with Africa, reinforce its leadership role in the Global South, and prepare the ground for assuming the chairmanship of Brics on January 1, 2026.

The visit, undertaken at the invitation of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, is PM Modi’s first official visit to Ethiopia and his third visit to Africa this year. It follows his stop in Jordan and precedes his visit to Oman, forming the middle leg of a broader West Asia Africa outreach. Indian officials have described the Ethiopia leg as strategically significant, particularly in the context of Brics expansion and Africa’s growing role in global decision-making.

India and Ethiopia share a relationship that goes back decades, well before the establishment of modern diplomatic ties. Trade, education and people-to-people links have long anchored the partnership. However, Modi’s visit is notable for a more immediate reason. No Indian prime minister has visited Ethiopia in the last 15 years.