This article covers India's development partnership with Lesotho and cooperation in specific sectors: a line of credit for agricultural equipment, food assistance, support for agriculture and small industries, water, digital transformation, health and defence. It also covers bilateral trade, which the brief treats under economic cooperation. It is based on the MEA brief of April 2026, and project status and trade figures are as of that brief.

Line of credit

According to the MEA brief of April 2026, India provided a line of credit (LOC) of US$ 5 million to Lesotho in 2004 for the procurement of agricultural equipment from India. The project was completed in 2007. A second LOC, for Vocational Training Centres, is described in the culture and education article of this guide, since it concerns skills training.

Food assistance

On 29 November 2017, India formally donated 500 metric tonnes of rice to Lesotho. On 7 April 2025, India donated 1000 metric tonnes of Rice and 1000 metric tonnes of Sorghum. The brief describes both donations as gestures of goodwill and friendship, intended to mitigate the effect of food shortages caused by famine and other acts of nature.

Agriculture

Under a tripartite agreement signed by India and Lesotho in October 2001, 4 Indian agricultural experts and technicians were deputed to Lesotho under FAO's special programme for Food Security in Low Income Food Deficit countries. An Indian expert was later deputed in January 2004 to help draw up an irrigation master plan.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Mr. Malaha Molapo and nine officials of his Ministry visited India in August-September 2019 on a study tour of major irrigation and agriculture infrastructure. Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Mr Keketso Sello visited India on 19-24 September 2022 for the 9th Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) in New Delhi.

Small industries and textiles

The National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and the Basotho Enterprises Development Corporation (BEDCO) signed an MOU in January 2004 for Mutual Cooperation for the Development of Small Industries in Lesotho. It envisaged:

  • strengthening the capacity of BEDCO to develop and sustain small enterprises in Lesotho
  • facilitating transfer of technologies from India to Lesotho
  • assistance in setting up a Common Facility-cum-Training Center for the skill and technology needs of small enterprises
  • enterprise-to-enterprise contacts to promote Indian investment and industrial partnerships in Lesotho

Water and digital cooperation

Minister of Water Affairs Mr. Samonyane Ezekiel Ntsekele and the Commissioner of Water, Mr Mokake Mojakisane, attended the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention in New Delhi from 29 September to 2 October 2018. In digital cooperation, India and Lesotho signed an MoU on sharing successful digital solutions implemented at population scale on 21 July 2025.

Health

Minister of Health Mr. Nkaku Kabi visited India from 30 June to 6 July 2018, and Deputy Minister of Health Ms Manthabiseng Arcylia Pholeli visited on 2 September 2018, to follow up on the MoU signed between Apollo Hospital, India and Lesotho's Ministry of Health. A two-member delegation, Dr. Mapota Masoabi, Director, Clinical Services, and Mr. Motaba Andrease Sebotsa, Head of the Medical Regulatory Authority, visited India on 16-19 June 2025 for the 2nd Edition of the Policy makers' visit on Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP).

Defence

Defence visits recorded in the brief include:

  • Lieutenant General ET Motanyane, Commander of the Lesotho Defence Forces (LDF), visited India with other senior officers in October 2007.
  • Mr. Moshoeshoe David Sehloho, Principal Secretary, Defence & National Security, visited New Delhi in August 2013, met the Defence Secretary and the Deputy Chief of Army Staff, and visited the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.
  • Lt Gen JP Nehra, Deputy Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army, visited Lesotho on 17-19 July 2014.
  • Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's office Mr. Tsehlo Moses Ramarou took part in the India Africa Defence Ministers' Conclave (IADMC) on 6 February 2020.
  • Chief of Defence Staff of the Lesotho Force Lt Gen Mojalefa Letsoela visited India from 17-21 October 2022 for DefExpo 2022 and attended the India-Africa Defence Dialogue on 18 October 2022.
  • A high level delegation led by Mr. Limpho Tau, Minister in the PMO responsible for defence and security, attended Aero-India 2025 at Bengaluru and held a bilateral meeting with Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh.

Trade

The brief describes bilateral trade as minimal. India's imports from Lesotho in 2024-25 were US$0.98 million, with major items including iron and steel, oil and seeds, fruits and miscellaneous grains. India's exports in 2024-25 were US$10.30 million, with major items including pharmaceuticals, rubber, plastic and machinery.

The Duty Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) Scheme announced by the Prime Minister at the India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi in April 2008 has been offered to and accepted by Lesotho. Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Monyane Moleleki, with the Minister of Small Business Development, Cooperatives and Marketing, Mr Chalane Letus Phori, attended the 14th CII Exim Bank Africa Conclave in New Delhi on 17-19 March 2019.