In Indian civilisation, the Bindi is more than an ornament placed upon the forehead. It represents identity, consciousness, wisdom and the awakening of the third eye. Small in appearance but profound in significance, the Bindi draws attention to the face and symbolises a deeper understanding of the world beyond what the eyes can ordinarily perceive.
If India’s expanding diplomatic outreach to Africa and the world were imagined as a human body, I would describe Somaliland as the Bindi on its face.
It may appear small on the geopolitical map, but its strategic significance is disproportionately large. Its location, people, political aspirations, economic potential and democratic resilience make it a place that India should neither overlook nor underestimate.
Having recently travelled to Somaliland and interacted with its leadership, including President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro, I have come away with a conviction that the relationship between India and Somaliland has the potential to become one of the most consequential partnerships in India’s evolving African engagement.
Not because Somaliland possesses the economic might of the world’s great powers, but because it occupies a geographical and geopolitical position that could become increasingly important to India’s future.
A Small Territory at the Centre of a Great Geopolitical Conversation
Geography has always influenced the destiny of nations.
The great maritime powers of history understood that influence was not determined merely by the size of a country’s territory or population, but also by its ability to understand and engage with strategically important locations.
Somaliland sits along the Gulf of Aden, close to the maritime approaches to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most consequential shipping chokepoints.
Through these waters passes maritime traffic connecting the Indian Ocean with the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean and European markets.
For India, whose economic ambitions are increasingly intertwined with international maritime trade, energy security, supply chains and strategic connectivity, developments in this region cannot remain peripheral to its foreign policy.
Somaliland’s port of Berbera offers an important gateway into the Horn of Africa and potentially into the markets of landlocked Ethiopia. Other coastal locations, including Zeila, Lughaya and Bulhar, represent longer-term possibilities for maritime infrastructure and economic development, subject to commercial and environmental feasibility.
A nation aspiring to become a leading global economic and strategic power must understand that diplomatic influence is often built through relationships established before their full significance becomes obvious to the rest of the world.
India has an opportunity to develop such a relationship with Somaliland. India understands this.
The India-Africa Relationship Needs a New Strategic Imagination
For decades, India’s relationship with Africa has been shaped by historical solidarity, anti-colonial struggles, development cooperation, education, healthcare, trade and people-to-people relationships.
These foundations remain valuable.
However, the Africa of the twenty-first century requires a more ambitious Indian diplomatic imagination.
Africa is no longer merely a continent of developmental partnerships. It is becoming an increasingly important arena for global competition over critical minerals, maritime infrastructure, technology, energy, manufacturing, agriculture and political influence.
China has invested extensively across the continent. Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the European Union and the United States have also developed varying degrees of strategic and economic engagement.
India must build upon its historical goodwill with a more proactive, commercially meaningful and strategically coherent African policy.
This is where Somaliland becomes important.
Rather than viewing Somaliland only through the prism of its unresolved international status, India should also examine its potential as a partner in maritime commerce, regional connectivity, technological development, education, healthcare and capacity building.
India’s diplomacy has often demonstrated an ability to engage with complex international realities while maintaining respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law.
Somaliland presents an opportunity to apply that diplomatic maturity.
The question is not simply whether India should engage Somaliland. The more important question is how India can develop a mutually beneficial relationship that advances economic development, regional stability and its own strategic interests.
Somaliland’s Democratic Resilience Deserves Attention
One of the most striking aspects of Somaliland is its political journey.
Since declaring the restoration of its independence in 1991, Somaliland has built governing institutions, maintained a considerable degree of internal stability and conducted competitive elections despite the absence of widespread international recognition.
Its political history has not been without difficulties, disputes or conflict. Nevertheless, its institutional development deserves serious international examination.
The peaceful transfer of presidential power following the November 2024 election demonstrated an important degree of democratic maturity in a region frequently associated with political instability.
There is something profoundly compelling about a people who have spent decades seeking international recognition while continuing to build institutions of governance.
During my interactions in Somaliland, what impressed me was not merely the aspirations of its political leadership but the sense of identity and determination among ordinary Somalilanders.
They do not see themselves as people waiting for the world to define them.
They see themselves as a people who have already defined their political identity and are waiting for the world to acknowledge it.
India, with its own historical experience of colonialism, independence and nation-building, should be capable of understanding the emotional and political depth of such aspirations, even while carefully considering the legal and diplomatic complexities involved.
The Strategic Importance of Somaliland’s Ports and Beyond
If Somaliland is the Bindi on the face of India’s diplomatic outreach, its coastline, stretching across the strategically important Gulf of Aden, could become one of the economic arteries connecting that relationship to Africa, the Middle East and the wider world.
India’s strategic engagement with Somaliland must look beyond Berbera and embrace the maritime potential of Zeila, Lughaya and Bulhar, alongside Berbera, as part of an integrated coastal development vision. While Berbera already serves as an important maritime and logistics hub, Zeila, with its historic trading legacy and strategic location near the entrance to the Red Sea, deserves priority consideration for future development. Lughaya and Bulhar offer additional opportunities for specialised ports, fisheries, coastal commerce, logistics and industrial infrastructure. Together, these locations could create a network of complementary maritime gateways connecting the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian Peninsula, Ethiopia and the wider East African region.
India’s expertise in port development, maritime infrastructure, logistics corridors and coastal economic zones could play a transformative role in unlocking this potential. Rather than concentrating development around a single port, Somaliland should pursue a comprehensive maritime strategy that distributes economic opportunities across its coastline, strengthens regional connectivity and positions the territory as an emerging commercial gateway between Africa and Asia.
However, India’s engagement should extend well beyond maritime infrastructure. A genuinely transformative India–Somaliland partnership must place human development at its centre.
Water security must be the first priority. For a region confronting water scarcity and climate vulnerability, investments in desalination, groundwater management, water distribution, irrigation and sustainable water technologies could transform communities, agriculture and livelihoods.
Energy must be the second priority, particularly solar, wind and other appropriate renewable technologies that can support industrialisation, power emerging economic zones and reduce dependence on costly conventional energy supplies.
Infrastructure development must be the third priority, encompassing roads, logistics corridors, airports, integrated port networks, industrial zones and digital connectivity. These investments would establish the foundations for sustained economic growth and connect Somaliland’s coastal opportunities with its inland economic potential.
Healthcare offers another promising area of cooperation. India possesses substantial expertise in affordable medical services, pharmaceuticals, hospital management and medical education. Through strategic partnerships, investments in modern healthcare facilities and specialised medical institutions, Somaliland could eventually position itself as a medical tourism destination for Africa and the Middle East.
Education, artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, technology transfer and skill development must become equally important pillars of cooperation. India’s capabilities in these sectors could help equip Somaliland’s young population with the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in a rapidly transforming global economy.
The objective should not be to create a relationship of dependency, where Somaliland remains merely a recipient of assistance or a transit point for international commerce.
It should be to build a relationship of capability, enterprise and shared prosperity, where India contributes to Somaliland’s transformation into a maritime, economic, technological and human development hub connecting Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Somaliland’s greatest opportunity lies not in the development of one port or one sector, but in recognising that its coastline, natural resources, geographical location and human capital together offer the foundations for a far more ambitious economic future.
India Must Demonstrate Diplomatic Foresight in Balancing Somaliland and Somalia
India’s growing stature as a global power presents an opportunity to demonstrate that diplomatic relationships need not be defined by mutually exclusive choices. Its longstanding relationship with Somalia and the possibility of deeper engagement with Somaliland can coexist within a carefully calibrated foreign policy that respects regional stability while acknowledging historical realities and democratic aspirations.
Somaliland’s case deserves examination beyond the conventional boundaries of diplomatic recognition. Its brief independence in June 1960, subsequent union with Somalia, declaration of restored independence in 1991 and more than three decades of developing its own governing institutions constitute a distinct historical and political journey. Its competitive elections, peaceful transfers of political power and sustained pursuit of international recognition raise legitimate questions about how democratic self-governance, territorial integrity and self-determination should be reconciled.
The African Union has an important responsibility in examining these questions. Its commitment to inherited colonial boundaries and the territorial integrity of member states must be considered alongside Somaliland’s historical circumstances, including the fact that the former British Somaliland briefly existed as an independent state before uniting with the former Italian-administered Somalia. The African Union’s own 2005 fact-finding mission recognised the distinctive historical circumstances surrounding Somaliland’s claim, although this did not lead to recognition. A renewed, evidence-based examination could help determine whether existing diplomatic positions adequately reflect the political and democratic realities on the ground.
India’s strategic autonomy provides room for a nuanced approach. Stronger trade, investment, educational, technological and developmental engagement with Somaliland need not diminish India’s relationship with Somalia. Equally, constructive dialogue with both sides could support regional stability and create space for a peaceful examination of their competing claims.
A structured India-Somaliland engagement could begin with institutional cooperation, commercial partnerships and an assessment of the feasibility of a permanent Indian trade or representative presence in Hargeisa.
Ultimately, Somaliland’s aspirations should be examined on the strength of historical evidence, democratic practice and the expressed will of its people, while also addressing Somalia’s sovereignty claims and the implications for regional peace. India’s engagement with the African Union could contribute to a more substantive discussion of these questions.
The challenge before India and the African Union is not simply whether established diplomatic positions should be preserved, but whether those positions have been sufficiently tested against Somaliland’s history, its democratic experience and the principles of self-determination that remain central to Africa’s political evolution.
A Friendship Bridge Between India and Somaliland
My recent meeting with President Irro reinforced my belief that the foundations of a meaningful India-Somaliland relationship can be built through trust, mutual respect and a shared commitment to economic progress.
Our conversation extended beyond conventional diplomatic courtesies into the possibilities of developing a friendship bridge between the people of India and Somaliland.
I believe that such a bridge must be constructed not merely through statements of goodwill but through tangible economic and institutional cooperation.
The relationship must produce opportunities for entrepreneurs, employment for young people, access to technology, stronger healthcare systems, educational partnerships and improved infrastructure.
It must also create avenues for Indian businesses to participate in Somaliland’s economic transformation through commercially viable, transparent and mutually beneficial projects.
For me, the most meaningful aspect of this engagement has been the warmth of the Somaliland people.
Their hospitality, openness and genuine interest in India have reinforced something I have believed throughout my professional life: diplomacy ultimately succeeds when relationships between governments are supported by relationships between people.
Governments may sign agreements, but people give those agreements meaning.
The Bindi Is Small, but Its Significance Is Immense
In Indian thought, the Bindi occupies a special place because it draws attention to the centre of perception.
It reminds us that wisdom requires the ability to see beyond the obvious.
Somaliland may not possess the international recognition, economic scale or diplomatic visibility of larger African nations.
Yet its position overlooking vital maritime routes, its proximity to the Arabian Peninsula, its potential connection to Ethiopia’s vast market and its aspirations for economic transformation give it strategic relevance far beyond its geographical size.
For India, Somaliland could become a distinctive point of engagement connecting its Africa policy with its Indian Ocean strategy and its growing interests in the Middle East.
This is not an argument for abandoning India’s established partnerships in Africa or compromising its diplomatic principles. It is an argument for expanding India’s strategic imagination.
The world is entering a period in which geopolitical influence will increasingly depend upon the ability of nations to recognise emerging opportunities, build enduring partnerships and create economic value across regions.
India must be present where the future is being shaped, not merely where international attention is already concentrated.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of India as a leading voice of the Global South provides a broader framework within which such relationships can be thoughtfully explored.
If India truly seeks to become a bridge between the developed and developing worlds, it must engage with emerging political and economic realities across Africa with confidence, sensitivity and foresight.
Somaliland deserves a place in that conversation.
The Third Eye of India’s African Diplomacy
The Bindi is also associated with the Ajna Chakra, the symbolic centre of intuition, insight and higher consciousness.
That symbolism offers a useful lesson for foreign policy.
Diplomacy must not be guided only by what is visible today. It must also possess the foresight to recognise what may become important tomorrow.
Somaliland presents precisely such a test of strategic foresight.
The relationship between India and Somaliland should not be measured merely by the immediate commercial returns it might generate or the diplomatic complexities it presents. It should also be evaluated by the possibilities it creates over the next twenty-five years.
India has the technological capabilities, entrepreneurial talent, institutional experience and developmental expertise to contribute meaningfully to Somaliland’s aspirations.
Somaliland possesses geographical advantages, commercial opportunities and a people determined to shape their own future.
Together, they could develop a partnership rooted in mutual respect, shared opportunity and long-term strategic understanding.
I have often believed that the most consequential relationships in international affairs begin not with grand announcements but with the courage to recognise possibilities that others have overlooked.
That is how I see Somaliland.
If Africa represents one of the most important frontiers of India’s diplomatic future, Somaliland is the Bindi that gives that diplomatic vision a distinctive identity, sharper focus and deeper strategic consciousness.
A Bindi does not need to be large to command attention. It needs only to be placed where it belongs.
And in the emerging geography of India’s global diplomatic outreach, I believe Somaliland deserves precisely that place.
