ARABIAN TIMES NEWS NETWORK
On a blistering November morning in Luanda, Kirti Vardhan Singh stepped off an Indian Air Force plane carrying little more than a wreath of marigolds and forty years of shared history. Angola was turning fifty, still bruised from colonial wars and civil strife, yet determined to dance. As the Minister of State laid those bright flowers at Agostinho Neto’s tomb, old guerrillas saluted and children waved tiny paper flags of saffron, white and green. In that single, unscripted moment, two nations that had bled for freedom in the same turbulent century looked at each other and recognised themselves. What followed was not just protocol; it was family turning up for a difficult birthday, determined to stay long after the cake was gone.
In the vibrant heart of Luanda, amidst the rhythmic beats of Angolan drums and the flutter of tricolour flags, Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, stood as a symbol of India’s unwavering solidarity with Africa. On 22 November 2025, Singh’s participation in the 50th Independence Day celebrations of Angola marked not merely a ceremonial gesture, but a profound reaffirmation of bilateral ties at a pivotal juncture. As the southern African nation commemorates half a century since its hard-fought liberation from Portuguese colonial rule in 1975, Singh’s presence underscored the depth of India-Angola relations, which themselves celebrate 40 years of diplomatic engagement this year. His message on X, offering “warmest congratulations” and wishes for “continued peace and progress”, resonated as a bridge between two nations forged in shared histories of anti-colonial struggle and mutual aspirations for equitable growth.
This visit arrives on the heels of President Droupadi Murmu’s landmark tour to Angola and Botswana earlier in 2025, where she eloquently described the partnership as “rooted in equality, mutual trust, and shared aspirations for progress.” Building on that momentum, Singh’s engagement elevates India’s Africa outreach, a cornerstone of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy. Under the “Africa First” paradigm, India has invested over $12 billion in the continent through lines of credit, capacity-building initiatives, and infrastructure projects. Angola, with its vast oil reserves and burgeoning mining sector, emerges as a linchpin in this strategy. Bilateral trade, hovering at $6 billion annually, is poised for exponential growth, particularly in hydrocarbons, Angola supplies 15% of India’s crude oil imports, and defence cooperation, where joint ventures in maritime security counter piracy threats in the Indian Ocean rim.
Singh’s intervention carries layered significance in a multipolar world. Amid escalating geopolitical tensions, from the Ukraine conflict to Red Sea disruptions, India positions itself as a stabilising force in the Global South. By joining Angola’s festivities, Singh signals Delhi’s commitment to South-South cooperation, bypassing Western-dominated forums like the G7 for platforms such as the India-Africa Forum Summit. This is no abstract diplomacy; it translates into tangible outcomes. Recent MoUs on agriculture, renewable energy, and digital infrastructure, inked during Murmu’s visit, promise to empower Angola’s post-civil war reconstruction while diversifying India’s energy basket away from Middle Eastern dependencies. For Angola, grappling with economic diversification beyond oil amid climate imperatives, Indian expertise in solar and biofuels offers a lifeline, fostering sustainable development that echoes the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Yet, the visit’s impact transcends economics. It humanises diplomacy, engaging the 2,000-strong Indian diaspora in Luanda, who cheered Singh’s arrival as a homecoming. In a nation scarred by decades of conflict, where independence heralded both hope and hardship, India’s narrative of resilience, from its own freedom struggle to Ambedkarite social justice, resonates deeply. Singh’s participation, evoking Gandhi’s pan-Africanist ethos, counters narratives of neo-colonialism often levelled at China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Instead, India’s model emphasises empowerment: training 500 Angolan youth in IT skills last year alone, or the Udan scheme extending affordable flights to underserved routes.
Challenges persist, however. Corruption scandals in Angola’s elite and fluctuating oil prices demand vigilant oversight to ensure equitable partnerships. Nevertheless, Singh’s Luanda sojourn catalyses a new chapter. As Angola enters its sixth decade, buoyed by youthful demographics and mineral wealth, India’s alliance could unlock a $100 billion trade corridor by 2030. This golden jubilee, thus, is not just Angola’s, it heralds a luminous era of Indo-African synergy, where two rising powers co-author a narrative of shared prosperity. In Singh’s words, it reaffirms an “enduring partnership,” a beacon for the Global South’s ascent.
