India attaches high importance to international cooperation in emerging and transformative technologies and remains committed to strengthening partnerships with countries of the Global South, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh said on Saturday, 9 May, during a meeting with Rwanda's top diplomat in New Delhi.

Rwanda Extends Summit Invitation

High Commissioner of Rwanda to India, Jacqueline Mukangira, called on Dr. Singh to invite him to the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa (NEISA 2026), scheduled to be held at the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda from 18–21 May 2026. The summit is being organised in collaboration with leading international bodies including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the Nuclear Energy Agency, and the World Nuclear Association.

Dr. Singh regretted his inability to attend in person but confirmed he would participate virtually and address a designated session during the summit, according to the Department of Atomic Energy.

Key Areas of Bilateral Discussion

During the interaction, both sides explored avenues for deepening India-Rwanda cooperation across science and technology, innovation, atomic energy applications, digital capacity building, and emerging technologies. Dr. Singh highlighted India's growing global engagement in frontier sectors including nuclear energy, space technology, biotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital governance — areas he described as being driven by the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for technology-led inclusive development.

The Rwandan delegation conveyed strong interest in India's expanding scientific and technological capabilities and expressed keenness to deepen institutional partnerships with Indian ministries, scientific organisations, and innovation platforms.

NEISA 2026: What the Summit Covers

The proposed session for Dr. Singh at NEISA 2026 is expected to focus on nuclear energy deployment, AI integration, and manufacturing partnerships. The summit is designed to bring together ministers, policymakers, scientists, innovators, industry leaders, and strategic stakeholders to deliberate on nuclear energy innovation, AI integration, manufacturing ecosystems, and future-ready energy partnerships for Africa.

Discussions also covered opportunities for collaboration in research, education, innovation ecosystems, and capacity-building initiatives between the two countries — signalling a broadening of the bilateral relationship beyond traditional diplomatic ties.

Broader Context

This engagement comes amid India's accelerating outreach to African nations under its Global South partnership framework, which has gained momentum since the G20 New Delhi Summit of 2023. India's nuclear and space agencies have increasingly been positioned as soft-power assets in South-South cooperation. Notably, this is one of the first high-level bilateral interactions between India and Rwanda specifically centred on nuclear energy and AI — sectors that are rapidly shaping Africa's development agenda.

With NEISA 2026 just weeks away, the outcome of Dr. Singh's virtual address could set the tone for a more structured institutional partnership between the two nations.