This article covers India's development partnership with Ethiopia and cooperation in training, defence, peacekeeping, digital technology, science, agriculture and energy. It also covers the cultural and media agreements and the historical links between the two countries, including early Indian settlers and teachers in Ethiopia. It is based on the MEA bilateral brief of April 2026.

Training and capacity building

According to the MEA brief of April 2026, Ethiopian officials and legislators have attended several training programmes in India:

  • 20-24 February 2023: a 50-member Ethiopian Parliamentary delegation attended a training programme at the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) in New Delhi. It consisted of government whips, chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of various standing committees, and speakers of 12 regional parliaments.
  • 12-17 May 2025: a 41-member delegation led by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Federation of Ethiopia attended a capacity building programme at the National Centre for Good Governance in New Delhi under ITEC.
  • 9-14 March 2026: a 32-member Parliamentary Delegation attended a one-week capacity building programme at the National Centre for Good Governance on "Leadership for 21st Century Women Professional".
  • A 60-member group of security personnel from the Ethiopian Federal Police attended a forensic course at the National Forensic Science University, Gujarat.

Defence and peacekeeping

The Ethiopian Defence Minister visited India and signed a defence cooperation MoU on the sidelines of Aero India 2025 on 11 February 2025. She also held a bilateral meeting with the Defence Minister of India.

Gen. Teshome Gemechu, Director General for Defence Foreign Relations and Military Cooperation of Ethiopia, visited New Delhi from 15-17 October 2025 for the first ever Joint Defence Cooperation meeting. The brief describes the visit as a milestone in the long standing bilateral defence relationship.

In 2025 the two sides also concluded an implementing agreement between CUNPK, India and IPSTI, Ethiopia for Cooperation in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations Training.

Digital cooperation

In 2024, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India and the Information Network Security Administration of Ethiopia signed an MoU in the field of Digital Public Infrastructure. An MoU on Establishing Data Centre at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia followed in 2025.

Science, agriculture and energy

The brief lists these agreements in science and agriculture:

  • Agreement on Cooperation in Micro Dams and Small-Scale Irrigation Schemes (2002)
  • Agreement on Cooperation in the field of Science and Technology (2007)
  • MOU between ICAR and Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (2011)
  • MoU between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Central Research Institute, India and Wollo University, Ethiopia (2021)

From 11-15 August 2025, a high-level delegation of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), led by its Director General, Mr. Ashish Khanna, visited Ethiopia. It met H.E. Dr. Eng. Sultan Woli, State Minister of the Ministry of Water and Energy, in Addis Ababa to discuss the country's solar energy development plans.

The Framework Agreement on "Establishment of the International Big Cat Alliance" aims to conserve seven major big cat species: tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, cheetahs, jaguars and pumas.

Cultural and media agreements

The cultural framework recorded in the brief consists of a Cultural Agreement (1983) and an Agreement for Cooperation in the field of Information, Communication and Media (2017).

Two Ethiopian film professionals, Mr. Melkamu Haile, Film Director and Writer, and Mr. Fisehatsion Nibret, Cinematographer and Filmmaker, participated in the WAVES summit from 1-4 May 2025.

The brief states that historical linkages between India and Ethiopia go back 2,000 years of recorded history. In the 16th century AD, the Portuguese assisted the Christian King in Ethiopia to repel Muslim invaders, and Indians from Goa came with them.

In 1868, General Robert Napier led a punitive expedition to obtain the release of European diplomats and missionaries imprisoned by Emperor Tewodros II in his fort at Makdala. The 30,000 strong force had 13,000 soldiers from India. The British Army that helped Ethiopia to end the Italian occupation of Ethiopia (1936-41) also had a sizeable contingent of Indian soldiers.

Early Indian settlers and teachers

The early settlers among the Indian community in Ethiopia came from Gujarat in the latter years of the 19th century. During imperial times there were also tens of thousands of Indian teachers in schools all over Ethiopia, even in the most remote parts.