This article describes India's development partnership with South Sudan and cooperation in specific sectors. It covers training and capacity building, projects funded through the IBSA Fund, humanitarian assistance, Quick Impact Projects, research links, and cooperation in health and energy. It is based on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) bilateral brief of April 2026, and figures are given as of that brief.

ITEC training

According to the MEA brief of April 2026, India currently offers South Sudan 180 slots annually under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) training programme. Around 1,600 South Sudanese have attended ITEC training courses in India since 2013.

Training for diplomats

Training at the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS) in New Delhi has been a regular part of the partnership. The brief records the following courses:

  • 2016: 15 diplomats of the South Sudan Foreign Ministry attended a country specific course.
  • May 2022: 31 South Sudanese diplomats were trained.
  • December 2024: 15 more diplomats attended the specialised course.
  • 4-13 August 2025: 10 diplomats attended the 1st Special Course for diplomats from Eritrea, Libya, Somalia and South Sudan.
  • 2-7 February 2026: 25 more diplomats and officers were provided a special Protocol Training Module.

In total, as of the brief, 106 South Sudanese diplomats have been trained in India.

Other training programmes

Other capacity building recorded in the brief includes:

  • Police Training Courses: 50 officers of the South Sudan Police Force attended specialised courses in India in 2018 and 2019.
  • Parliamentary study tour: in February 2025, a 12 member delegation from the Committee on Finance and Economic Planning (COFEP) of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, led by the Chairperson of the Assembly, attended a benchmarking study tour hosted by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
  • Parliamentary training: a delegation of 8 Members of Parliament from the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), led by Hon. Oliver Mori Benjamin, underwent a training course on Cyber Security for MPs at the Lok Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi, from 28 July to 1 August 2025.

India-UN Global Capacity Building Initiative

On October 31, 2025, the India-UN Global Capacity Building Initiative was formally launched in South Sudan. The brief describes the initiative as focused on sharing India's development innovations with countries in the Global South, aligned with their national priorities.

Under the initiative, a 26 member delegation from South Sudan visited India from December 2-12, 2025 for a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme. The course was conducted at the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBD), Noida, under the ITEC programme. It was also attended by Hon. Kyuok Abol Kyuok, Minister of General Education and Instructions; Hon. James Hoth Mai, Minister of Labour; Hon. Modut Biar, Minister of Higher Education Science & Technology; and Mr. Kachuol Mabil Piok, Undersecretary in the Ministry of General Education and Instructions.

IBSA Fund projects

Two projects in South Sudan are supported by the India, Brazil and South Africa Facility for Poverty and Hunger Alleviation (IBSA) Fund:

  • Empowering Women and Youth to Drive Sustainable Agriculture (EWYSA): a USD 1 million initiative launched in August 2025. It aims to improve food security, employment and income for women and youth and strengthen their resilience to climate change, by building the capacity of women and young farmers in vegetable production. It targeted about 1,200 beneficiaries across three villages, approximately 60 percent of them women.
  • Scaling Solar Applications for Agriculture Use: a South-South cooperation project, implemented by UNDP with the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which scales up the use of solar-powered water pumps. The brief states that it is helping smallholder farmers gain access to clean, affordable energy for irrigation, replacing fuel-based irrigation systems.

Humanitarian assistance

The brief records the following humanitarian assistance:

  • 2008: USD 100,000 worth of tents and medicines for flood victims, shared between Sudan and South Sudan.
  • February 2020: a consignment of life saving drugs worth approx. USD 100,000 for the flood affected people of South Sudan.
  • December 2020: 70 Metric Tons of food aid, consisting of wheat flour, rice and sugar, for flood affected people (USD 55,000).
  • April 2021: 6 Metric Tons of life-saving essential medicines (USD 118,000).

Quick Impact Projects

The brief lists the following Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) undertaken so far:

  • Four hand pumps at the Mangalla Internally Displaced Persons Camp in June 2022, at a cost of approximately USD 45,900.
  • A 6-week Artificial Limbs (Jaipur Foot) Fitment Camp organised by MEA at Juba Military Hospital in June-July 2022, at a cost of approximately USD 180,000.
  • Construction of an observatory for a seismic station at Kolye West Village, Rajaf Payam, Juba, under the Ministry of Mining/Geological Society of South Sudan, at a cost of approximately USD 49,000. The project commenced in November 2024 and the main construction work has been completed.
  • Renovation of the South Sudan Learning Center (SSLC) under the Ministry of ICT & Postal Services, at a cost of approximately USD 14,000. The project commenced in December 2024 and, as of the brief, is ready for handover.
  • Veterinary medicines worth approximately USD 17,000 provided by the Indian Embassy to Indian peacekeepers in UNMISS in 2024-25 and again in 2025-26, distributed at veterinary aid camps for local communities.

Research cooperation

A Letter of Association was signed on 1 April 2026 between the SUDD Institute of South Sudan and the Global South Centre of Excellence of the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi. It covers joint policy research on development solutions suited to partners' priorities, capacity building and skill upgradation through training, sharing of expertise, and the promotion of science and technology.

Health and energy

Health Minister Hon. Sarah Cleto Rial visited India from 17-19 December 2025 to participate in the 2nd WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit. She also attended the 13th International Health Dialogue in Hyderabad from 30-31 January 2026 as a distinguished speaker.

Hon. Eng. Madhieu Achuil Mawien, the Acting Minister of Energy & Dams, participated in the 8th Ministerial meeting of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) held in Delhi during 27-29 October 2025.