This article covers trade and development cooperation between India and Sudan: the main goods traded, the trade figures in the brief's table, the effect of the conflict that began in April 2023, agricultural trade and cooperation, and India's Lines of Credit and the projects they financed. It is based on the MEA brief of April 2026, and all figures are as the brief gives them.

Goods traded

According to the MEA brief of April 2026, India is a significant trade partner of Sudan. India primarily exports to Sudan:

  • food stuffs
  • petroleum products
  • manufactured goods
  • machinery and equipment
  • chemicals including pharmaceuticals
  • textiles

Sudan mainly exports sesame seed, gum Arabic, cotton, watermelon seeds, hides and skins, and ground nuts to India.

The brief states that bilateral trade between the two countries was on a steep rise. However, it declined sharply following the outbreak of armed conflicts in Sudan on 15 April 2023.

Trade figures

The brief's table, sourced to DGCIS, India and headed "Calendar Year Basis, Values in USD Million", gives the following figures for India's trade with Sudan:

  • 2019-2020: exports 1,096.88, imports 396.75, total trade 1,493.63, trade balance 700.12
  • 2020-2021: exports 1,022.33, imports 368.28, total trade 1,390.61, trade balance 654.05
  • 2021-2022: exports 1,077.25, imports 129.15, total trade 1,206.40, trade balance 948.1
  • 2022-2023: exports 1,815.84, imports 218.18, total trade 2,034.02, trade balance 1,597.67
  • 2023-2024: exports 805.04, imports 330.55, total trade 1,135.59, trade balance 474.49
  • 2024-2025: exports 589.03, imports 427.55, total trade 1,016.58, trade balance 161.49

The table gives growth in India's exports to Sudan of 68.56% in 2022-2023, -55.67% in 2023-2024 and -26.83% in 2024-2025. For total trade, it gives growth of 68.6%, -44.17% and -10.48% in the same years. Imports from Sudan are shown growing by 68.93% in 2022-2023, 51.51% in 2023-2024 and 29.34% in 2024-2025.

According to the table, Sudan's share of India's total trade was 0.19% in 2019-2020 and 0.09% in 2024-2025. Its share of India's total exports was 0.35% in 2019-2020 and 0.13% in 2024-2025.

Agricultural trade

The brief notes that Sudan is the third largest country in Africa, and that around 10% of the world's arable land is estimated to be located in Sudan. It describes cooperation in agriculture between India and Sudan as strong. The areas of cooperation include skill development and training, and the sale of agricultural machineries such as tractors, agricultural equipment, hybrid seeds, agro-chemicals and agro-fertilizers.

According to the brief, India dominates the agricultural tractor market in Sudan, with export of around 2500 tractors in a year. It states that Indian hybrid seeds are popular, and that companies like JK Seeds and Nath Seeds have a good distribution network in Sudan. In the agrochemical industries, the brief describes UPL as a dominant player.

India also imports a lot of agro commodities from Sudan, including sesame seeds, watermelon seeds, groundnuts, pigeon peas and chickpeas. The brief states that this cooperation supports rural jobs in Sudan and strengthens India's food supply, and calls it a good example of South-South collaboration.

Development partnership: Lines of Credit

A number of Lines of Credit have been extended to the Government of Sudan, beginning with a Rs. 20 million Line of Credit in 1980. The US$ 50 million LoC extended during President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam's visit in 2003 was the first on a G-to-G basis.

The brief lists the following Lines of Credit extended to the Government of Sudan through EXIM Bank of India, with amounts in million US$:

  • 50.00: supply of electrification, equipment, photo-voltaic cells, diesel coaches, copper rods, textile machinery and rehabilitation of locomotive products.
  • 350.00: the 4 X 125 MW Kosti combined cycle power plant, executed by BHEL. All 4 units were synchronised and commissioned in Jan 2016. As of April 2026, BHEL has outstanding dues of USD 30.98 million from the project.
  • 41.90: the Sinja-Gedarif Transmission and Sub-Station project.
  • 48.00: supply of agriculture inputs, technical and laboratory equipment, scientific equipment, solar electrification, and Sudan Railways supplies.
  • 52.00: the Gadarif-Galabat transmission line, micro-industrial projects and development of livestock production and services. The original amount of this LoC was reduced to US$ 37.44 million.
  • 25.00: the Mashkour Sugar Plant in White Nile State.

The Mashkour Sugar Plant

For the Mashkour Sugar Plant, the 1st tranche of US$ 25 million has been disbursed. The brief states that the 2nd tranche of USD 125 million could not be disbursed due to various irregularities, the inability of the Government of Sudan to mobilise local contributions of US$ 80 million, the inability of the Government of Sudan to pay LoC dues, and non-optimal utilisation of the current capacity of existing sugar mills.