India-Africa Relations Introduction 

• India and Africa share a longstanding and historic relationship, rooted in cultural, political, and economic ties.
• Over the decades, this partnership has evolved from shared struggles for independence to contemporary collaborations across multiple sectors.

The History of India-Africa Relations

• Solidarity Against Colonial Rule: 

• • • The political and moral affinity between India and Africa dates back to the 1920s, when both regions were fighting against colonial oppression.
    • India’s freedom movement was not limited to domestic aspirations; it had an internationalist outlook, seeing the struggle for independence as part of a global movement against imperialism.
    • Indian leaders inspired African nationalists, creating a sense of shared purpose and historical solidarity that still underpins India-Africa relations today.

• India’s Support for African Decolonisation: 

• • • After gaining independence in 1947, India emerged as a leading voice at the United Nations advocating for the decolonisation of African nations.
    • Despite facing domestic challenges and limited resources, independent India actively extended support to African countries under the principles of South-South cooperation.
    • This approach fostered trust, goodwill, and long-term partnerships, setting the stage for future collaborations.

• The ITEC Programme: 

• • • In 1964, India launched the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, aimed at providing technical assistance and human resource development to developing countries.
    • African nations became major beneficiaries, receiving training, capacity-building initiatives, and technical support across various sectors.
    • ITEC laid the foundation for India’s sustained engagement with Africa, combining expertise sharing with development assistance.

• A Pragmatic and Adaptive Approach:

• • India’s strategy in Africa has been quiet, pragmatic, and adaptive, focusing on alignment rather than prescription.
  • The approach emphasizes issue-based coalitions, working collaboratively with African countries on matters of mutual interest rather than imposing solutions.
  • India’s engagement in Africa rests on three pillars:

• Shared Historical Solidarities – Leveraging common anti-colonial struggles and cultural affinities.
• Pragmatic Cooperation in the Present – Fostering trade, investment, education, and development partnerships.
• Long-Term Future-Oriented Ties – Investing in infrastructure, skill development, and strategic collaborations for sustainable growth.

Trade, Investment, and Strategic Partnerships

• Economic Cooperation: 

• Bilateral Trade: 

• According to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), India-Africa bilateral trade reached around $83.34 billion in 2023-24.
• With a target of $200 billion by 2030, India has become Africa’s third-largest trading partner, following the European Union and China.
• India’s top export markets in Africa include South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, and Togo, while top import sources are South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Angola, and Guinea.

• Key Trade Commodities:

• Top Exports from India: Mineral fuels and oils (processed petroleum products), pharmaceutical products, and vehicles.
• Top Imports from Africa: Mineral fuels and oils (primarily crude oil) and pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, making up over 77% of India’s imports from Africa.

• Driving Development:

• India’s cumulative investments in Africa are approximately $70–75 billion, targeting strategic sectors like energy, mining, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals.
• Lines of Credit (LoCs) extended by India to African nations total around $12.26 billion, facilitating critical development projects.
• India’s irrigation project in Senegal significantly boosted local agriculture, resulting in a six-fold increase in rice production, demonstrating the tangible benefits of India’s investment-driven cooperation.

• Strengthening Economic Ties:

• India’s current approach focuses on mutually beneficial partnerships, blending trade, investment, and capacity building.
• By prioritizing sectors like infrastructure, energy, agriculture, and healthcare, India ensures that economic ties contribute to sustainable growth and regional development across Africa.
• Such partnerships are aligned with long-term objectives of boosting bilateral trade, enhancing technological cooperation, and fostering development-driven diplomacy.

•  Social and Educational Cooperation: India has played a pivotal role in strengthening people-to-people ties with Africa:

• • • Scholarships and Cultural Exchange: Under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), around 50,000 scholarships were granted to African students between 2012 and 2017, enabling access to higher education in India.
    • Skills and Knowledge Transfer: Through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program, India provides training programs to African professionals, enhancing skill development and technical expertise across diverse sectors.
    • These initiatives foster long-term cultural understanding and human resource development, strengthening India-Africa bonds.

•  Security Cooperation: India’s engagement with Africa also focuses on maritime safety and regional security:

• • • Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA): Several African nations are members, collaborating with India to enhance maritime security and ensure safe shipping lanes across the Indian Ocean.
    • India-Africa Defence Ministers Conclave (IADMC): The first-ever conclave was held in Lucknow in 2020 alongside DefExpo, providing a platform to enhance defence cooperation, share best practices, and strengthen military ties.
    • These security initiatives are crucial for regional stability and maintaining safe international trade routes.

• Bridging Technology Gaps: India has been instrumental in supporting Africa’s digital transformation:

• • • Pan-African e-Network: Launched in 2009, it extended Indian IT expertise to improve healthcare and education across 53 African countries.
    • e-VidyaBharti and e-ArogyaBharti (e-VBAB): Initiated in 2018, this second phase offers tele-education to 4,000 African students annually and training for 1,000 medical professionals over five years.
    • Digital Public Infrastructure: India is sharing innovations like Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Aadhaar-based identity systems. Notably, Namibia became the first African country to implement UPI, revolutionizing digital transactions in the region.
    • These projects demonstrate India’s commitment to knowledge sharing and digital capacity building, enabling sustainable growth across African nations.

• International Cooperation and Global Advocacy: India actively champions Africa’s role in global governance:

• • Global Platforms: India successfully advocated for the African Union’s permanent inclusion in the G20 during its 2023 presidency.
  • UN Security Council Support: India continues to support Africa’s demand for permanent representation on the UN Security Council.
  • Joint Proposals at WTO and WIPO: India and Africa have co-sponsored initiatives such as the Agricultural Framework Proposal and Protection of Geographical Indications, reinforcing shared interests of developing countries.
  • Such efforts highlight India’s dedication to promoting African interests in multilateral forums, strengthening South-South cooperation.

Unlocking Economic, Strategic, and Soft Power Potential

• Harnessing Huge Economic Potential: Africa’s growing markets and initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offer unprecedented opportunities:

• • • Trade Expansion: AfCFTA aims to create the largest free trade zone in the world by geography, potentially lifting 30 million people out of extreme poverty. It provides a strong platform to boost India-Africa trade and investment.
    • Service Sector Opportunities: India’s expertise in Information Technology (IT), mobile payments, banking, and financial services can be leveraged to expand services trade with Africa.
    • Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare: India’s leadership in vaccine manufacturing, pharmaceutical products, and telemedicine opens doors for collaboration in Africa’s healthcare sector, addressing both public health needs and business opportunities.

• Driving Infrastructure Development Across Africa: India can play a pivotal role in building essential infrastructure that supports Africa’s growth:

• • • Digital Infrastructure: With the third-largest startup ecosystem globally, India can contribute to digital infrastructure development, supporting Africa’s Agenda 2063 vision.
    • Supply Chain Facilitation: AfCFTA emphasizes cross-border supply chains for food, pharmaceuticals, and essential goods. India’s industrial and technological expertise can strengthen transport, logistics, and distribution networks, ensuring smooth operations for Indian companies across Africa.
    • This cooperation not only benefits African nations but also enhances India’s industrial presence and efficiency in the continent.

• Leveraging Soft Power for Strategic Advantage: India wields significant soft power influence across Africa, which strengthens bilateral ties:

• • • Indian Diaspora Influence: Countries like Mauritius host vibrant Indian communities, fostering trust and cultural connectivity between India and African nations.
    • Women Empowerment: Women constitute 90% of Africa’s informal labor force, primarily in education, healthcare, and tertiary services. India’s involvement in these sectors under AfCFTA initiatives enhances its brand image and credibility on the continent.
    • Soft power initiatives complement economic and strategic engagements, ensuring sustainable partnerships.

• Shared Development Agendas and Global Alignment: India and Africa share common developmental goals, creating a natural alignment:

• • Multilateral Cooperation: Both seek reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), advocate for climate change agreements, and collaborate on trade issues and WTO negotiations.
  • Developing Nation Solidarity: Similar developmental challenges and aspirations foster mutual understanding, strengthening policy coherence and joint action on global platforms.
  • This alignment makes India a natural partner for Africa in navigating international governance, climate, and trade negotiations.

Problems in the India-Africa Relationship

• Irregular High-Level Political Engagement:

• • • The India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) serves as the cornerstone of diplomatic dialogue between India and African nations. However:
    • Infrequent Summits: The last IAFS was held in 2015, creating a 7+ year gap in high-level political engagement.
    • Momentum Deficit: Compared to other global powers like China, the EU, and the US, which maintain regular summits with the African Union, India’s political engagement has lagged, affecting strategic alignment and trust-building.

• Gaps in India’s Development Cooperation Strategy: India’s development assistance in Africa faces coordination and strategic issues:

• • • Lack of Clear Development Goals: Indian development instruments like Lines of Credit (LoCs), grants, and ITEC capacity-building programs lack synchronization with broader developmental priorities such as food security, health, clean energy, or education for all.
    • Standalone Projects: LoCs, grants, and training initiatives often operate independently, limiting the overall measurable impact of India’s development cooperation.
    • Implementation Challenges: Poor disbursal rates and incomplete project execution further reduce the effectiveness and visibility of India’s assistance.

• Rising Competition from China: China’s influence in Africa presents a significant strategic challenge for India:

• • • Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): China invests heavily in infrastructure across the continent, securing large-scale projects and access to natural resources.
    • No-Strings-Attached Policy: China’s flexible approach, backed by massive financial resources, often makes it a preferred partner for African nations.

• Diversion of Geopolitical Focus: India’s strategic priorities in the Indo-Pacific and global arenas have affected its Africa engagement:

• • • Focus on Other Partnerships: Geopolitical tensions in Asia have compelled India to prioritize ties with the UK, EU, US, and Quad powers.
    • Reduced Strategic Bandwidth: This diversion has limited India’s sustained presence and focus on Africa compared to its competitors.

• Competition from Global Peers: Africa is the focus of attention for numerous countries, intensifying competition:

• • • Global Aid Rivalry: Nations from America, Europe, and Asia are assisting Africa in political, social, and developmental challenges.
    • Education Sector Challenges: While India offers significant scholarships to African students, education quality concerns and competition from countries like France and China (hosting tens of thousands of African students) limit India’s soft power impact.

• Racial Attacks: Incidents of racial discrimination against African nationals in India have undermined trust:

• • Impact on Bilateral Relations: Unaddressed racial attacks could strain diplomatic ties and tarnish India’s reputation as a friendly and safe destination for Africans.
  • Potential Threat to Goodwill: Maintaining India’s positive image requires swift action, legal measures, and awareness campaigns to prevent social tensions from escalating.

Way Forward

• Developing a Clear African Development Strategy: To achieve sustainable impact, India must design a comprehensive Africa strategy:

• • • Focused Cooperation Areas: Prioritize sectors such as food and health security, climate change adaptation, and gender equality.
    • Long-Term Planning: A structured approach will make India’s development assistance more effective and aligned with African needs.
    • Outcome-Oriented Projects: Concentrating on a few critical areas ensures measurable progress and stronger diplomatic influence.

• Continued Emphasis on Capacity Building: Human capital development remains central to Africa’s growth:

• • • Youth-Centric Approach: With Africa’s large young population, skill development and employment generation are key.
    • Beyond Infrastructure: Investment in human resources complements physical infrastructure, ensuring inclusive and sustainable development.
    • ITEC and Training Programs: India’s existing programs can be expanded to address emerging skill gaps and technological needs.

• Leveraging Civil Society, NGOs, and Diaspora Networks: India can harness its civil society and diaspora strength for low-cost, high-impact interventions:

• • • Collaboration with NGOs: Organizations such as Pratham and Barefoot College are already implementing successful projects in Africa.
    • Diaspora Engagement: Indian diaspora can facilitate people-to-people connections and assist in project execution.
    • Scalable Models: Utilizing local partnerships ensures projects are cost-effective, sustainable, and culturally sensitive.

• Timely Project Implementation: Effective implementation is critical for credibility:

• • • Expedite LoC Projects: Focus on speeding up Lines of Credit (LoC) initiatives and infrastructure projects.
    • Learning from Global Best Practices: Study the project execution models of other countries to improve efficiency and completion rates.
    • Transparent Monitoring: Implement robust tracking mechanisms to ensure accountability and timely delivery.

• Enhancing India as an Education Hub: Academic exchange is central to India-Africa soft power:

• • • Invest in Higher Education: Upgrading domestic universities will help India attract African students and researchers.
    • Scholarships & Capacity Building: Strengthen programs like ICCR scholarships to support skill development.
    • Quality Academic Experience: Address concerns related to living conditions, safety, and academic standards to improve India’s image as an education destination.

• Improving the Experience of Africans in India: A positive experience for Africans in India fosters long-lasting goodwill:

• • Safety & Well-Being: Ensure Africans studying, working, or visiting India feel secure and welcomed.
  • Cultural Awareness: Promote educational campaigns about Africa to enhance mutual understanding.
  • People-to-People Connections: Encourage cultural and social exchanges to strengthen bonds between nations.