Addis Ababa: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ethiopia has given fresh momentum to the India–Ethiopia economic partnership, members of the Indian diaspora here in December, highlighting new opportunities in sectors such as agriculture, floriculture, leather, climate action and technology.

They said Ethiopia’s success in export-oriented industries and India’s growing market and technological strengths create strong scope for deeper cooperation that can benefit both countries.

Floriculture lessons from Africa

Senthil Kumaran Thangavelu, General Manager of Horti Consult PLC, said Ethiopia started flower cultivation around 20 years ago and expanded it rapidly, helped by strong global connectivity through Ethiopian Airlines.

“Today, flowers grown in Ethiopia and Kenya are exported to Europe, Japan, Korea and Australia,” he stated.

He said India, except for roses, is increasingly importing flowers and ornamental plants from Europe, which leads to a loss of foreign exchange.

According to Thangavelu, India’s Northeastern region has ideal climatic conditions for growing a wide variety of flowers and ornamental potted plants.

Replicating global success

Explaining how Africa emerged as a global flower hub, Thangavelu said the rose industry began in the Netherlands and later moved to Israel.

He noted that while India is largely self-sufficient in rose production, it still relies on costly imports for other flowers and ornamental plants.

“If India adopts technologies used in Ethiopia and brings in European expertise, especially at a micro scale in the Northeast, the country can replicate this success,” he said.

Leather, climate and future-ready cooperation

Beyond floriculture, cooperation between India and Ethiopia is also expanding in other sectors.

Wondu Legesse, National Project Coordinator for the UNIDO LISEC project, said Ethiopia has built strong collaboration with India’s Central Leather Research Institute and the Footwear Design & Development Institute in Delhi.

“These partnerships focus on capacity building for tanneries and shoe factories, leading to significant improvements in the leather sector,” he mentioned.

Legesse, who has worked in the industry for over three decades, said he continues to support the sector as a UNIDO consultant.

Climate action is another area of growing engagement. Robi Redda, Director at South South North, said his organisation supports the Ethiopian government in accessing climate finance, framing policies and creating an enabling environment to address climate change.

He said they have contributed to several national climate strategies and are assisting Ethiopia in preparations for the 32nd Conference of Parties (COP32), which is scheduled to be held in the country in 2027.