India is looking to deepen its strategic and economic engagement with Ethiopia and Malaysia following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bilateral meetings with the leaders of the two countries on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi on Saturday.
Defence cooperation, investment and emerging technologies featured prominently in the discussions, with both Ethiopia and Malaysia showing interest in expanding their defence partnerships with India, according to government sources.
Ethiopia seeks defence, mining cooperation
During Modi's meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the two sides discussed ways to expand economic ties and encourage greater investment.
Ethiopia expressed particular interest in greater participation by Indian mining companies, according to government sources. The country is seeking foreign investment and partnerships in its natural-resource sector, creating potential opportunities for Indian businesses.
Defence cooperation was another focus of the talks. Ethiopia is interested in joint personnel training as well as procuring defence equipment from Indian companies.
The discussions come as India seeks to expand its economic and strategic footprint across Africa and strengthen its role as a defence partner for countries in the Global South.
Malaysia talks focus on semiconductors, defence
Modi's meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim covered semiconductor cooperation, defence and investment.
India and Malaysia are already exploring opportunities in the semiconductor ecosystem, including technology, workforce development and supply-chain resilience. The two sides discussed ways to further expand cooperation in the sector.
Defence also emerged as an important area, with Malaysia having shown interest in India's BrahMos missile system, including the possibility of an air-launched variant for its Su-30 fighter aircraft.
Greater participation by businesses from both countries was also discussed, with India seeking more Malaysian investment while encouraging Indian companies to expand their presence in Malaysia.
India expands defence partnerships
The discussions with Ethiopia and Malaysia come amid India's wider push to increase defence exports and build partnerships with countries across Asia, Africa and other parts of the Global South.
India's defence engagement has expanded in recent years, with countries showing interest in systems such as BrahMos, Pinaka, Akash, ATAGS, radars and Tejas.
The Philippines has already signed a $375-million deal for BrahMos, while Indonesia finalised a BrahMos arrangement in July 2026. Vietnam has also emerged as a defence partner, with India confirming a BrahMos deal.
Countries, including Thailand, Nigeria, Egypt, Argentina and the UAE, have also explored or shown interest in various Indian defence systems, though several of these discussions remain at an early stage.