Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bilateral meetings with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Saturday opened fresh avenues for cooperation in defence, investment and emerging technologies, as India stepped up its engagement with key partners from Africa and Southeast Asia on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
Both Ethiopia and Malaysia expressed interest in strengthening defence ties with India, including through joint training of military personnel and procurement of defence equipment from Indian companies, government sources said.
The discussions form part of India's wider effort to expand defence partnerships and exports, particularly among countries of the Global South. India has increasingly sought to position itself as a reliable supplier of cost-effective military platforms, while also offering training and technology partnerships.
The latest engagements come as India's defence exports and industrial partnerships gain traction across Asia, Africa and other regions.
India expands defence footprint across Global South
Several countries have shown interest in Indian-made military equipment, including missiles, artillery systems, radars and aircraft.
Indonesia is among the most significant recent examples. In July 2026, Jakarta finalised a BrahMos arrangement with India and also signed an agreement on air-to-air missile cooperation involving India's Astra missile.
Vietnam has also emerged as an important potential defence partner. India has confirmed a BrahMos deal with Hanoi, although details of the agreement have not been made public.
The Philippines is already operating the BrahMos system after signing a $375-million agreement for three shore-based anti-ship missile batteries. Deliveries under the deal were completed in 2026.
Armenia has emerged as another major customer for Indian defence equipment. It has acquired Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers, Akash-1S air defence systems, ATAGS artillery guns and Swathi weapon-locating radars. India accounted for about 43% of Armenia's arms imports between 2022 and 2024.
Interest in Indian systems is also being explored by other countries. Thailand has reportedly evaluated the BrahMos shore-based anti-ship system, although discussions have not yet resulted in a signed agreement.
Malaysia has expressed interest in BrahMos, including the possibility of an air-launched variant for its Su-30 fighter aircraft. Nigeria has shown interest in the Tejas fighter, with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited confirming discussions.
Egypt has also expressed interest in Tejas, while Argentina had previously explored the aircraft, although its prospects are complicated by the presence of British-origin components.
The UAE has reportedly examined BrahMos as well as India's Akashteer air-defence command-and-control system. Preliminary interest in BrahMos has also emerged from Chile, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, though these discussions remain at an earlier stage than India's arrangements with Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
India's defence outreach extends across the Indian Ocean as well. Countries including Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Seychelles and Sri Lanka have received various Indian maritime and aviation platforms, such as patrol aircraft, patrol vessels, helicopters and radars.
The expanding network reflects New Delhi's ambition to establish India as a dependable defence partner for countries seeking affordable equipment, training and technology cooperation.
Ethiopia seeks greater Indian investment in mining
Modi's meeting with Abiy Ahmed also focused on expanding the economic relationship between India and Ethiopia.
According to government sources, Ethiopia expressed particular interest in attracting greater participation from Indian mining companies as it seeks investment and partnerships in its natural-resource sector.
Defence cooperation was another important component of the discussions, with both sides exploring joint personnel training and procurement of Indian defence equipment.
The two leaders also reviewed broader progress in the bilateral Strategic Partnership, including economic cooperation, defence and security ties and capacity building. The discussions built on Modi's visit to Addis Ababa in December 2025.
Modi and Abiy also exchanged views on regional and international developments and reaffirmed their commitment to working closely through multilateral forums.
Modi welcomed Ethiopia's participation in the 18th BRICS Summit, noting that its presence strengthened the collective voice of the Global South.
For New Delhi, deeper engagement with Ethiopia also fits into its wider strategy of expanding commercial and strategic ties across Africa and encouraging Indian businesses to participate in projects on the continent.
Malaysia talks focus on semiconductors, defence and investment
The meeting between Modi and Anwar Ibrahim placed particular emphasis on semiconductors, alongside defence and investment.
India and Malaysia are exploring greater cooperation in the semiconductor ecosystem, including technology, workforce development and supply-chain resilience. The sector has become an increasingly important component of India's broader strategy to build resilient technology and manufacturing networks.
Defence cooperation offers another avenue for closer ties. Malaysia's interest in BrahMos, including a potential air-launched version for its Su-30 fighters, could provide an opportunity to deepen defence-industrial cooperation.
The two sides also discussed encouraging greater investment between their markets, with India looking to attract Malaysian companies while supporting the expansion of Indian businesses in Malaysia.
Anwar's visit also included planned meetings with Indian business leaders, including representatives of Adani Group, Segula Technologies India, AWL Agri Business and Motherson Group, highlighting the commercial dimension of Malaysia's engagement with India during the BRICS summit.
BRICS provides wider platform for India's strategic outreach
The bilateral meetings with Ethiopia and Malaysia came as India hosted the 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit under its 2026 chairship. Malaysia is participating as a BRICS partner country, while Ethiopia is a full member of the expanded grouping.
For India, the summit has provided an opportunity to combine multilateral diplomacy with bilateral engagement, particularly in areas such as defence, investment, technology and supply-chain resilience.
The outreach also comes as BRICS seeks to deepen economic cooperation among its expanded membership. Leaders at the New Delhi summit adopted a joint declaration calling for greater dialogue and diplomacy on international conflicts and cooperation on global economic issues.
Modi's meetings with Abiy and Anwar therefore underline India's broader effort to build partnerships beyond traditional strategic relationships, while using the BRICS platform to expand its economic, technological and defence engagement across the Global South.