India has emerged as a key trading partner for Kenya as bilateral trade grew to $4.31 billion in FY26, while both the countries aim to further strengthen trade and economic cooperation, the government said on Wednesday.
Total trade between India and Kenya stood at $4.31 billion in 2025–26, reflecting an increase of 24.91 per cent from $3.45 billion in 2024–25.
The 10th session of the India–Kenya Joint Trade Committee (JTC) in Nairobi reviewed the trade ties, which was was co-chaired by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and Principal Secretary, State Department for Trade, Republic of Kenya, Regina Akotah Ombam.
Discussions focused on enhancing trade diversification, addressing market access issues and leveraging complementarities in sectors such as engineering goods, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and electronics, according to a Commerce Ministry statement.
The Committee reviewed progress on ongoing trade facilitation initiatives, including the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) to promote cooperation in standardisation and conformity assessment.
An MoU was also signed between the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) for exchange of pre-arrival customs information, with emphasis on streamlining customs procedures and improving ease of doing business, according to an official statement.
Another MoU was signed between the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the India Kenya Chamber of Commerce and Industry to promote trade, investment and industry collaboration on the sidelines of the JTC meeting.
Both sides acknowledged the potential for promoting trade settlement in local currencies. The possibility of adopting a Local Currency Settlement (LCS) mechanism was also discussed.
Notably, in engineering and manufacturing, opportunities to expand exports of automobiles, machinery and construction equipment were highlighted. In pharmaceuticals, India highlighted its role as a supplier of affordable generic medicines and medical devices and proposed enhanced business-to-business engagement.
In renewable energy, India expressed readiness to support Kenya’s clean energy initiatives, including solar and wind projects.
(IANS)
