This article covers the economic relationship between India and South Sudan: the goods traded, official bilateral trade figures, Indian investment in the hydrocarbon sector, the state of South Sudan's oil production as the brief describes it, and Indian business activity in the country. It is based on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) bilateral brief of April 2026, and all figures are given as that brief states them.

What the two countries trade

According to the MEA brief of April 2026, the main items of Indian imports from South Sudan are oil and timber. India's exports mainly comprise consumer and household goods, food items, pharmaceuticals, motor cycles and three-wheelers.

The brief cautions that trade is mainly conducted through third countries, naming Uganda, Kenya and the UAE, and that precise data is therefore not available. The official figures below should be read with that limitation in mind.

Bilateral trade figures

The brief gives bilateral trade figures for the last three years, taken from the Department of Commerce of India website, together with partial figures for 2025-26. All values are in million US$:

  • 2022-23: India's imports 1.13; Indian exports 32.31; total trade 33.44.
  • 2023-24: India's imports 0.16; Indian exports 41.68; total trade 41.84.
  • 2024-25: India's imports 0.15; Indian exports 21.26; total trade 21.41.
  • 2025-26: India's imports 41.27; Indian exports 26.78; total trade 68.05.

The 2025-26 figures cover only the period April 2025 to January 2026, which is the data the brief says was available at the time of writing. They are therefore not directly comparable with the full-year figures for earlier years. Readers who need later or more detailed figures should consult the Department of Commerce of India, which is the source the brief cites.

ONGC Videsh and the oil sector

ONGC Videsh Ltd. (OVL) has made an investment of about US$ 2.0 billion in the hydrocarbon sector since 2003, according to the brief. The investment is spread over Sudan and South Sudan, and the brief does not divide it between the two.

The brief explains the importance of oil to South Sudan's economy. Over 90% of South Sudan's budget funding comes from its oil revenues. Production of crude oil was disrupted from December 2013 by the outbreak of civil war, which the brief says further deteriorated the economy.

The brief traces the later course of production as follows:

  • Since September 2018, oil production was revived at a minimal level of 150,000 bpd.
  • After damage to one of the two oil pipelines in Sudan in February 2024, 65% of the oil production stopped.
  • Since January 2025, oil production has partially resumed, and as of the brief it is around 100,000 bpd.

Indian businesses in South Sudan

The brief records that members of the Indian community were among the first to open hotels, borehole drilling companies, a printing press and departmental stores in Juba in early 2006, after South Sudan was declared an autonomous region.

As of the brief, a few Indian companies, or companies majority-owned by Indians, are present in South Sudan in fields including the hotel industry, construction, borehole drilling, printing, retail trading, supply to UN agencies and oil industry-related services. Indians also run supermarkets and restaurants in Juba. Some members of the community have set up businesses in Juba, while others work in various companies.

Business events

South Sudan has taken part in India-Africa business events in India. In March 2016 and July 2022, H.E. Dr. James Wani Igga, Vice President for the Economic Cluster of Ministries, participated with large delegations in the CII-EXIM Bank "India-Africa Growth Partnership" Conclaves.

Agreements and mechanisms

Readers seeking current trade regulations or business requirements should consult the Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan in New Delhi or the relevant Indian government departments.