India and South Africa agreed to scale up bilateral cooperation in future technologies with Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital infrastructure and advanced manufacturing as priorities for the next phase. The two ministers met in Kartavya Bhawan in New Delhi. Senior officials from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the Ministry of External Affairs and the South African High Commission attended.

Dr Jitendra Singh urged a shift beyond research cooperation towards innovation driven partnerships that deliver economic and societal impact and called for stronger links among research institutions, innovation agencies, startups and industry. He said India and South Africa have complementary strengths that can be harnessed to create affordable and inclusive technological solutions, with India’s rapidly growing innovation ecosystem supported by initiatives in Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum technologies and digital public infrastructure.

The two sides decided to intensify collaboration in advanced materials and manufacturing, geospatial technologies and digital infrastructure through the India–South Africa Joint Committee, and to accelerate interactions among scientists, institutions and technical experts to convert these priorities into collaborative programmes. Discussions identified opportunities in biotechnology, genomics, vaccine development and health technologies, emphasising technology deployment and commercialisation. South Africa conveyed interest in renewable energy, hydrogen technologies and skills development while reaffirming confidence in institutional linkages.

The ministers reviewed cooperation in astronomy, citing the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) as a flagship example of international scientific collaboration that advances computing, technological innovation and human resource development. Dr Jitendra Singh invited South Africa to the BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting in Chennai in August 2026 while South Africa invited India to the Science Forum South Africa 2026. The meeting concluded with a shared resolve to build a future ready innovation partnership driven by research excellence, technology development and startup collaboration.