By Amin Kef (Ranger)
A high-powered delegation of 27 journalists from West Africa, Central Africa and Pacific Oceania on Monday, January 19, 2026, paid a familiarization visit to the Export–Import Bank of India (India Exim Bank) at the Centre One Building, Floor 21, World Trade Centre Complex, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai. The engagement formed part of a structured international media exposure programme designed to strengthen professional knowledge of development finance, international cooperation frameworks and India’s growing partnerships with friendly countries across the Global South.
Hosted under the theme: “Familiarization Visit of Foreign Media Journalists,” the programme brought visiting media professionals into direct engagement with senior officials of India Exim Bank, India’s premier export finance institution supporting trade growth, export promotion, overseas project financing and development cooperation through targeted financial instruments. The visit provided a practical opportunity for delegates to gain deeper insight into how development finance institutions operate and how international partnerships are structured to deliver long-term economic outcomes.
Among the visiting delegation were prominent Sierra Leonean media practitioners, including Alhaji Manika Kamara, President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Amin Kef Sesay (Ranger), Managing Editor of The Calabash Newspaper and Thomas Dixon, Managing Editor of The New Age Newspaper. The Sierra Leonean representatives joined colleagues from multiple countries across Africa and the Pacific, reflecting the international scope of the programme and the widening role of the media in explaining development cooperation and investment processes to the public.
The session at India Exim Bank featured in-depth presentations by senior bank officials, aimed at strengthening delegates’ understanding of the bank’s mandate, services and global footprint. T. D. Sivakumar, Chief General Manager, provided a broad overview of India Exim Bank’s foundation, institutional role and operational scope, explaining how the institution functions as a specialized export finance bank and a key instrument of India’s external economic engagement.
Kunal Gulati, Chief Manager, delivered a comprehensive presentation detailing the bank’s services, mechanisms and international engagement, highlighting examples of how the bank supports trade development, overseas project financing and strategic partnerships between India and developing countries.
Officials explained that India Exim Bank is India’s leading financial institution dedicated to promoting and financing the country’s international trade and cross-border investment. It was established under the Export-Import Bank of India Act, 1981and commenced operations in March 1982. Headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, the bank is wholly owned by the Government of India and operates as a specialized development finance institution supporting India’s external economic strategy, offering long-term financing solutions and advisory services that conventional commercial banks may not fully provide, particularly for international trade and overseas development projects.
During the engagement, delegates were briefed on India Exim Bank’s core services, including financial assistance and advisory support designed to help Indian businesses expand internationally while enabling partner countries to access concessional credit to implement development priorities. Officials explained that the bank provides a wide range of financing instruments, including export credits through pre-shipment and post-shipment financing, Lines of Credit extended to overseas Governments and financial institutions to support the import of Indian goods and services, project finance for Indian companies implementing overseas projects or establishing export-oriented units, overseas investment finance for Indian equity participation in foreign joint ventures and subsidiaries and tailored SME financing products that enable small and medium enterprises to access international markets.
In addition to financial assistance, the bank also delivers advisory services through market research and trade studies that guide investment decisions, risk management support to mitigate trade-related risks such as political risk, credit risk and non-payment exposure and promotional initiatives including workshops, trade fairs, research publications and competitiveness support programmes. Officials said that combination of financing and advisory interventions is designed to strengthen trade systems while supporting long-term development outcomes in partner countries.
A key focus of the presentations was to demonstrate how development finance operates in real-world settings, especially in emerging economies where infrastructure expansion and public service investment remain pressing priorities. India Exim Bank officials emphasized that financing solutions such as Lines of Credit are often aligned with national development goals, linking capital support to sectors that improve livelihoods and build economic resilience. They highlighted that development finance is not simply about lending but about enabling systems that support sustainable national progress through infrastructure delivery, improved public utilities, trade expansion, investment growth and institutional strengthening.
The presentations further outlined priority sectors supported by India Exim Bank globally, particularly across developing partner countries. Those include agriculture and irrigation, water supply and sanitation systems, energy and power development, transport and infrastructure improvement, telecommunications and ICT expansion, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, education and capacity building and industrial growth and manufacturing development. Officials noted that those sectors remain central to long-term national development because they directly influence citizens’ quality of life and strengthen opportunities for investment, productivity, employment and national competitiveness.
Africa was highlighted as one of the most significant regions for India Exim Bank’s trade and development engagement. Officials explained that the bank has supported projects across the continent through Government-backed Lines of Credit, project export financing and structured development partnerships between India and African states.
In several African countries, Exim Bank-supported interventions have contributed to major improvements in infrastructure, rural electrification, water access, agricultural productivity and technology connectivity. Delegates were also briefed that for countries like Sierra Leone, such interventions have contributed to key areas including agriculture support, water and sanitation development, energy improvements and ICT expansion, strengthening national development priorities.
Beyond the formal presentations, the engagement included direct interactions between delegates and Exim Bank officials, covering issues such as how development projects are selected and prioritized, how financing agreements are structured, how sustainability and long-term viability are ensured, what monitoring and transparency mechanisms exist and how risk is managed within trade and development financing. The programme concluded with a questions-and-answers session that allowed visiting journalists to engage officials directly on areas of policy, financing structure and accountability.
Participants described the visit as a rare and high-impact opportunity to gain direct insight into the workings of a major international finance institution, noting that such exposure strengthens professional capacity to report accurately on bilateral financing arrangements and development cooperation agreements. Observers said the exchange in Mumbai was timely and necessary, reinforcing the need for stronger media literacy on financial institutions, international agreements and the policy processes behind major investments, especially at a time when development partnerships continue to shape economic transformation across Africa and the wider Global South.
