Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first bilateral visit to Ethiopia in December 2025 marked more than a ceremonial milestone. The conferment of the Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia —the country’s highest civilian award—on the Indian Prime Minister and the elevation of India–Ethiopia relations to a Strategic Partnership  signal a carefully calibrated shift in India’s Africa diplomacy. At a time when the Global South is asserting greater agency and geopolitical alignments are in fl