This article covers India's lines of credit, grants and donations to Benin, the IBSA salt farming project, training under ITEC, defence cooperation and assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also covers cultural exchange, scholarships and education links, and the Indian community in Benin, which the brief treats only briefly. It is based on the MEA bilateral brief of April 2026.

Lines of credit

According to the MEA brief of April 2026, India has extended Lines of Credit worth US$ 208.25 million to Benin Republic, of which US$ 159 million constitute bilateral Lines of Credit. Projects worth US$ 17 million have been completed. The brief states that these include US$ 15 million for agricultural equipment and two grants of US$ 1 million each for mutually identified projects in the health and education sectors.

The brief records the following credit decisions:

  • A Line of Credit (LoC) of US$ 15 million, announced during President Boni Yayi's State visit to India in March 2009.
  • A Line of Credit of $ 15 million for a tractor and agricultural machinery assembly plant, approved in May 2012. The plant has since been completed and was inaugurated by the Benin President in December 2014.
  • A LoC of US$ 42.61 million equivalent, approved in May 2013, for the upgradation of water supply schemes in 69 villages in Benin.
  • A soft Line of Credit of USD 100 million for Benin's national priority projects, announced by President Ram Nath Kovind during his State visit to Benin in July 2019.

Grants and centres agreed in 2009

During the 2009 State visit, the two sides agreed on two grants of one million dollars each for mutually identified projects in the Health and Education sectors. They also agreed on the setting up of an IT Centre for Excellence and a Centre of Demonstration of Technology, both on a grant basis. One of the agreements concluded during the visit was an MOU on setting up an Information Technology Centre of Excellence (CETI) in the Republic of Benin.

Donations

India donated 100 tractors each in 2009 and 2010, 4 Tata buses in July 2010 and 60 ambulances in February 2011 to Benin.

IBSA salt farming project

An India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) project on Salt farming in the Republic of Benin was announced on 16 July 2021 in Djegbadji village, near Ouidah. The project provides improved technology, capacity building and distribution support to the local population, mainly women, for the efficient, cost-effective and environmentally safe production of salt.

Training under ITEC

Since 1964, India has supported Benin's capacity building under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Program. India regularly offers training slots under ITEC and e-ITEC to Benin every year, and Beninese officials regularly attend short to medium term programmes in India in subjects ranging from IT to Parliamentary studies.

Following the India-Africa Forum Summit-III, held in New Delhi in October 2015, India has been offering additional training programmes to Benin in subjects ranging from Agriculture to Hydro power.

Defence cooperation

Beninese Armed Forces have been attending training courses in defence institutions in India under the ITEC program, and have regularly participated in military exercises and events organised in India. The brief states that the focus of defence cooperation remains capacity building through training assistance, and that vacancies in UN courses are also provided.

A Benin delegation led by the Chief of Air Staff of the Benin Air Force took part in Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru from 10 to 14 February 2025. A delegation led by the Chief of the Naval Staff took part in IFR 2026 and MILAN 2026 in Visakhapatnam from 15 to 20 February 2026.

Energy and social protection

Benin's Minister of Energy, Mr Dona Jean-Claude Houssou, visited India for the Founding Conference of the ISA and the Solar Summit in October 2018. Ms. Medesse Veronique Tognifode, Minister of Social Affairs and Micro Finance, visited India in January 2020 for the Peer Exchange "Accelerating Digital Social Protection Payments", organised in New Delhi.

COVID-19 assistance

India donated a 6 tonne consignment of essential medicines, including HCQS and antibiotics, to the Republic of Benin in July 2020. On 10 March 2021, India sent a consignment of 1,44,000 doses of Covishield vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII), under the Covax scheme of GAVI.

Cultural exchange

India and Benin signed a Memorandum of Understanding on a Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) for 2019-23 during President Kovind's State visit to Benin in July 2019. A 15-member Theyyam dance group from Kerala visited Benin on 2 December 2011 and gave a performance at the Palais de Congress in Cotonou.

Scholarships, diplomatic training and tele-education

Every year, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) offers scholarships for Beninese nationals to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate courses in India. Beninese diplomats regularly attend the Professional Course for Foreign Diplomats (PCFD) at the Foreign Service Institute, New Delhi.

Benin is part of the Pan African e-Network project. An MoU on e-VBAB (Tele-education and Tele-medicine) was signed between the Republic of Benin and TCIL during the State Visit of President Ram Nath Kovind to Benin in July 2019.

The Indian community

As of the brief, the Indian Community in Benin is estimated at 1500 persons. Indian experts are working in the West Africa Rice Development Centre (WARDA). The brief states that the Indian community is generally respected in the country and has been engaged in socio-economic charitable activities, including education, healthcare and potable water supply, especially in rural areas. A school for local rural children has been opened and is run by the community.

Cotonou has an Indian Cultural Association as well as a Hindu Temple, which the brief says anchor cultural activities. The Indian Community set up the Indian International School of Benin in Cotonou in May 2008. The school received CBSE-affiliation in October 2011 and, as of the brief, has about 120 students. The community is also represented by the Indian Association, Benin (IAB), whose current President has been appointed India's Honorary Consul in Benin, as described in the practical guide.