South Sudan Taps India to Advance Sugar Production Project

JUBA) – The National Minister of Trade and Industry, Hon. Atong Kuol Manyang, held a high level meeting with the Indian Ambassador to South Sudan, His Excellency Anil Nautiyal, on Thursday, 31 July 2025, in Juba. The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation in trade, industry and human capacity development.

The discussion took place at the Ministry’s headquarters and was attended by senior officials, including Undersecretary Hon. Ustaz Yel Luol Koor.

Ambassador Nautiyal used the occasion to officially invite the South Sudanese trade minister to the 20th Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) India Africa Business Conclave, scheduled to take place from 27 to 29 August 2025 at Hotel Taj Palace in New Delhi, India.

The India Africa Business Conclave is a premier platform that brings together government leaders, investors and business professionals to explore opportunities for trade, investment and partnership between India and African countries. South Sudan’s participation is expected to highlight the country’s emerging economic opportunities and attract strategic interest in sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture and infrastructure.

In her remarks following the meeting, Minister Kuol Manyang welcomed the invitation and praised India’s continued engagement with South Sudan. She noted India’s longstanding support for education and skills development, including scholarships and short term training courses that have empowered South Sudanese professionals across various fields.

The Minister also raised key national priorities, appealing for India’s support in implementing industrial development programmes, particularly the revival of the long awaited sugar production project.

She described the sugar project as a vital part of South Sudan’s strategy to reduce dependence on imports, improve food security and generate employment for youth. The value of such projects, she noted, would contribute significantly to boosting local production and revenue.

Ambassador Nautiyal expressed his appreciation to the Minister for accepting the invitation to the CII event and reaffirmed India’s commitment to supporting South Sudan’s development agenda.

As a sign of concrete cooperation, he pledged to arrange specialised short term training for Ministry staff in areas such as industrialisation and small scale enterprise management.

The training initiative is expected to enhance the technical skills of South Sudanese professionals and support the Ministry’s capacity to deliver on national development objectives.

The meeting ended with both sides reaffirming their commitment to deepening economic cooperation and working towards mutually beneficial partnerships.

Meeting Outcomes