India and South Africa agree to scale up bilateral cooperation in future technologies, with Artificial Intelligence, Digital Infrastructure and Advanced Manufacturing as key priorities

• Bilateral S&T compact between India and South Africa to scale up cooperation in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Advanced Manufacturing, with extensions into quantum tech, biotech and hydrogen energy.
• Operates under the 1995 Inter-Governmental Agreement on S&T Cooperation and the broader India–South Africa Strategic Partnership (1997); both states are BRICS, IBSA and G20 partners.
• Examinable for UPSC under GS-II (Bilateral relations, groupings involving India) and GS-III (Science & Tech, indigenisation, emerging technologies).