Al Montasher News
• By Md Noor Rahman Sheikh, Ambassador of India to Lebanon
When we talk about development, we often talk in numbers: investments made, infrastructure built, or people impacted. But for an ordinary citizen, development is much more immediate. It is whether a public service works, whether a child can access a good education, whether a patient can get treatment, or whether a young person can find an opportunity for job or professional growth.
This is one of the lessons India has learned from its own development journey.
For a country as large and diverse as India, there is no single model that fits all. What we have tried to do is make governance more responsive and public services more accessible. Technology has increasingly helped us do this, particularly by bringing services closer to citizens. India’s Digital Public Infrastructure including the financial inclusion instruments which has led to more than 500 million financial transactions everyday, has been a game-changer in it’s developmental path.
Appreciating that technology is only a means, we have taken steps to ensure the real measure of good governance is whether it makes a difference in people’s lives.
This is also how India approaches international development cooperation. We do not see it as a mere transactional relationship in which one country gives and another receives. We see it as a partnership in which countries share experience, expertise and resources, while each country chooses what is relevant to its own circumstances.
Lebanon has been an important partner in this journey. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Lebanon in 1954, Indian Embassy in Beirut has always remained opened and worked with the Lebanese government and its people closely.
Through India’s Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation programme, Lebanese officials and professionals have had opportunities to train in India and exchange experiences with their Indian counterparts. These programmes may not always attract headlines, but they build something lasting: knowledge, professional networks and institutional capacity. Every year, 75 slots have been allotted to Lebanon. However, this year, as there has been tremendous response from Lebanon, the number of slots is being enhanced considerably to enable more Lebanese- both government officials and private professionals to attend various capacity building programmes in reputed institutions in India.
India’s cooperation with Lebanon also includes community-level projects and humanitarian assistance. We have supported Quick Impact Projects in areas including the Shouf Biosphere Reserve, Jezzine Municipality, Ketermeya Municipality, Ministries of Foreign Affairs & Emigrants, Public Health, Youth & Sports and various Municipalities in South Lebanon. The Indian Battalion has been part of UNIFIL for the last 28 years and has been providing developmental assistance for the local populace. Following the Beirut port explosion, India provided humanitarian relief. In October 2024, India also sent 33 tonnes of medicines to Lebanon. Another tranche of medicines from India is also being dispatched to Lebanon. These efforts may be modest compared with the challenges Lebanon faces, but they reflect India’s belief that development cooperation should respond to real needs on the ground.
There is an important principle behind this approach: the most valuable outcome of development cooperation is often the capacity it builds to benefit the country and its people.
A trained professional can pass on knowledge. A stronger institution can continue serving citizens. A young person with new skills can create opportunities for others.
This is why India’s partnerships combine infrastructure and technology with training and capacity building.
There is considerable potential to deepen this cooperation with Lebanon—in healthcare, digital governance, agriculture, renewable energy, education, skills and entrepreneurship. There is much India can share, but there is also much we can learn from Lebanon.
India does not believe that its experience provides a ready-made formula for other countries. Lebanon has its own history, institutions and priorities, and its future must be shaped by the Lebanese people.
Our role is to be a reliable and sustainable partner.
Ultimately, development is not about the number of projects completed or agreements signed. It is about whether those efforts improve people’s lives and strengthen the
ability of institutions to serve their citizens.
That is the spirit in which India approaches its development partnerships—with Lebanon and with the wider Global South.
We believe India’s development partnership with Lebanon will stand to benefit the state and its people in its path of economic recovery and prosperity.
