Why Ghana and Namibia Matter to India

In the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 23, India launched Operation Sindoor and gave a befitting reply to Pakistan, sending an additional message to the world of having zero tolerance for terrorism.

- By Sanjay Turi

Subsequently, India also launched a diplomatic drive globally, with special focus on the Global South. Ahead of the BRICS scheduled meeting in Brazil, Prime Minister Modi's recent visit to Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, and Namibia is additionally an important component of India's diplomatic drive to fight against terrorism with a zero-tolerance approach.

Although oil trading began in the late 19th century and started dominating global trade in the mid-20th century, its influence is now on a declining trend. The future of international trade is now expected to be influenced by rare earth minerals. As countries from the Global South hold significantly large reserves of both light and heavy rare earth minerals such as uranium, lithium, cobalt, manganese, dysprosium, and terbium (widely used for making permanent magnets for electric vehicles), PM Modi's subsequent visit to these countries ahead of his participation in the BRICS meeting is a masterstroke.

In light of Vision 2047, India's aspiration to rapidly transition to sustainable development approaches—such as green energy initiatives and the manufacturing of electric vehicles—will obviously require the above-mentioned mineral resources for industrial development. Therefore, the recent visit of PM Modi is undoubtedly a step towards achieving one of the crucial goals of Viksit Bharat.