India-Africa Relations

Why in news?

In 2015, New Delhi hosted the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-III), which was a moment of significance, now India must “connect, build and revive” its partnership with Africa by strengthening finance, digital cooperation, and institutional mechanisms.

What is the historical progress of India–Africa ties?

• Civilizational links – India-Africa relations date back millennia, with trade between the Indus Valley Civilization and African civilizations.
• During colonial times, Indian indentured laborers (girmitiyas) in Africa strengthened socio-cultural connections.
• Political relations – It was started when M.K.Gandhi started his political career during colonization in South Africa.
• Further shaped through common experiences of colonialism, solidarity in the Non-Aligned movement and in forms of developmental diplomacy.
• India supported African liberation movements, especially in Namibia and South Africa, promoting South-South cooperation.
• Diplomatic Expansion – Now, India has established 17 new missions across Africa, strengthening its diplomatic footprint.

What are the key areas of cooperation between India and Africa?

• Economic Relations – India-Africa trade touched $98 billion in FY22–23 which is a positive economic development.
  • Bilateral trade crossed $100 billion, making India one of Africa’s top five trading partners.
  • India is among Africa’s top five investors, with $75 billion in cumulative investments.
  • India is Africa’s 3^rd largest export destination.
  • Exports to Africa - Refined petroleum, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, machinery, textiles.
  • Imports from Africa - Crude oil, gold, coal, pulses, cashew, and other raw materials.
• Financial collaboration – India’s Exim Bank recently extended a $40 million commercial credit line to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Bank for Investment and Development (EBID).

• Maritime cooperation – In April 2025, 1^st Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME)  was held, between India and 9 African navies.
• India-Africa Defence Dialogue was held in the sidelines of DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• Military exercises includes - AFINDEX 2023, anti-piracy patrols, maritime vision via SAGAR and MAHASAGAR initiatives.
• Cultural relations - Project ‘Mausam’ is an initiative of Ministry of Culture, to explore the multi-faceted Indian Ocean ‘world’ and promote research related to maritime routes.
  • About 39 Indian Ocean countries selected for this project which contains African countries like Egypt, Kenya, Sudan, Somalia etc.,
• Education & Health – Africa is one of the beneficiaries of India’s flagship capacity building program – Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC).
  • As per National Education Policy 2020 guidelines, 1^st IIT (Madras) Campus at Zanzibar, Tanzania.
  • India supplied 'Made in India' COVID vaccines to 42 African countries under “One Earth One Health Mission”.
• Technology – Pan-African e-Network and e-VBAB projects offer tele-education and telemedicine services.
  • Promoting India Stack (UPI, Aadhaar, DigiLocker) in Africa to support financial inclusion and e-governance.
  • Some cities like Kigali (Rwanda), Nairobi (Kenya) and Lagos (Nigeria), African innovation ecosystems are growing, but the competition is global.
• Institutional Frameworks – Africa is shaping its own terms through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), aiming for a unified continental market.
  • IAFS the key platform for economic diplomacy; last held in 2015, in New Delhi - welcomed representatives from all 54 African states.

IAFS is the official platform for the African Indian relations which is held once in every 3 years since 2008, that enhances relations and cooperation between India and African nations.

• Energy Cooperation – African nations partner with India under the International Solar Alliance, while collaborations in green hydrogen, EV ecosystems and blue economy corridors gain traction.
  • Indian firms like ONGC Videsh and Oil India invest in Mozambique, Nigeria, Sudan.
• Push for global representation – Beyond that, India continues to push for African representation in global institutions and contributes to United Nations peacekeeping missions on the continent.
  • Example: India’s push for membership for African Union in the G-20.

What are the opportunities in India – Africa relations?

• Demography – By 2050, one in four people on earth will be in Africa (Africa will host 25% of the global population); India will be the world’s 3^rd largest economy.
• This creates a potential growth corridor of commerce, demography, and technology.
• Evolving engagement model – Shift from aid to co-development (Build together) - ports, power lines, vaccines, digital tools.
• Human Capital – India’s most enduring export to Africa is not technology, it is human resource.
  • Nearly, 40,000 African students trained in India in the past decade, now lead in policy, innovation, and governance across Africa.
• Growing consumer base – Africa’s rapidly urbanizing population presents a large market for major Indian sectors like IT, banking, financial services, and mobile payment solutions.

What are the challenges in India – Africa relations?

• China’s dominance – India’s trade with Africa is growing, but it still lags behind China.
• Slow execution of projects – Indian firms face bureaucratic hurdles, limited capital, logistics issue, political unrest, etc.
• Loss of institutional momentum – No IAFS meeting since 2015 has diluted institutional continuity.
• Focus Diversion – India’s strategic focus on the Indo-Pacific and strengthening ties with Western powers sometimes diverts attention from Africa.
• Geopolitical challenges – Political instability and maritime insecurity in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) hinder investment and long-term project viability.

What are the moves India must undertake to sustain its thrust in Africa?

• Connect finance to outcomes – Ensure every line of credit must lead to delivers visible impact; public finance must de-risk, rather than displacing private capital.
• Build a digital corridor – This collaboration should leverage not just UPI and India Stack, but also Africa’s own digital capabilities, so that we can co-develop platforms for health, education, and payments that serve the Global South.
• Move up the value chain – Both must co-investing in future-facing sectors — green hydrogen, electric mobility and digital infrastructure.
• Revive institutional dialogue – Reconvene IAFS to renew diplomatic momentum.

References

1. The Hindu | India needs to ‘connect, build and revive’ with Africa
2. Embassy of India | India-Africa Connect