Evolving India-Africa Partnership

• 16 May 2025

This editorial is based on “Beyond the aid recipient: India's strategic shift in its Africa engagement” which was published in Business Standard on 15/05/2025. The article brings into picture the evolving India-Africa partnership, highlighting its shift toward strategic, investment-led cooperation aligned with Africa’s development goals and a $200 billion trade target by 2030.

For Prelims: Africa, Critical minerals, African Continental Free Trade Area, African Union, India’s 2023 G20 Presidency,  Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program, International Solar Alliance, Indian Ocean Region, Necklace of Diamonds,  Rewa Ultra Mega Solar project. 

For Mains: Evolution of India-Africa Relations, Strategic Significance of Africa in India’s Foreign Policy, Key Issues Hindering Effective India-Africa Cooperation. 

India's partnership with Africa has evolved beyond historical ties into a strategic, multidimensional relationship encompassing trade, investment, and development cooperation. With bilateral trade reaching $100 billion annually and cumulative investments of $80 billion, India aims to achieve an ambitious $200 billion trade target by 2030. Key areas for deeper collaboration include manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, renewable energy, and security assistance. As Africa moves beyond its traditional aid-recipient status, India must develop a long-term strategy of investment-led trade that aligns with African aspirations for self-directed development. 

How have India-Africa Relations Evolved over Time?  

• Historical and Cultural Foundations: India-Africa relations date back to ancient times when Indian merchants traded spices, textiles, and precious stones with African kingdoms via the Indian Ocean.  
  • The presence of the Indian diaspora in countries like Kenya, South Africa, and Mauritius has reinforced cultural and economic ties.  
  • Both regions also shared experiences of British colonialism, which fostered mutual support during independence movements, with leaders like Mahatma Gandhi influencing African freedom fighters such as Nelson Mandela. 
• Post-Independence Period (1947-1990): After independence, India strongly supported African liberation struggles, opposing apartheid and colonialism, exemplified by India’s vocal stance in the United Nations.  
  • Both India and many African nations were founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement, promoting sovereignty and development free from Cold War pressures.  
  • India also provided technical assistance and scholarships to African students under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program, laying the groundwork for long-term cooperation. 
• Post-Cold War to 2000s: With the end of the Cold War, India-Africa relations shifted from ideological solidarity to pragmatic engagement.  
  • India's development cooperation with Africa has grown significantly, notably through concessional lines of credit for infrastructure initiatives.  
  • A notable example is the Pan-African e-Network Project, envisioned by former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, which set up a fibre-optic network to provide satellite-enabled telemedicine, tele-education, and digital connectivity across African countries. 
• Recent Developments (2008-Present): The India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS), first held in 2008, institutionalized high-level political dialogue and expanded partnerships in trade, security, and development.  
  • India also increased cooperation on peacekeeping, counter-terrorism, and capacity building, training thousands of African professionals annually under ITEC and other programs. 
  • India played a leading role in the inclusion of the African Union in G20 during its 2023 G20 Presidency. 

 

What is the Strategic Significance of Africa in India’s Foreign Policy?  

• Strategic and Maritime Security Imperative: Africa’s geopolitical positioning in the Indian Ocean region is critical for safeguarding India’s maritime trade routes and projecting naval influence.  
  • India’s establishment of its first overseas naval base in Mauritius in 2024, as part of its "Necklace of Diamonds" strategy, exemplifies strategic outreach to secure sea lanes and counter emerging threats such as piracy and terrorism.  
  • The deployment of Indian defence attaches across key African states and the inaugural India-Africa Army Chiefs Conclave in 2023 further strengthen military cooperation and regional stability. 
• Economic Growth Catalyst through Trade and Investment: Africa’s vast natural resources and expanding markets provide India with vital inputs and demand to sustain its growth trajectory.  
  • India-Africa bilateral trade surged to USD 83.34 billion in 2023-24, reflecting a 21% rise since 2011-12, while Indian investments have reached USD 75 billion, poised to double by 2030.  
• Securing Critical Minerals and Energy Resources: Africa’s dominance in critical minerals like cobalt, manganese, and copper is indispensable for India’s clean energy transition and manufacturing ambitions.  
  • The Democratic Republic of Congo alone controls over 70% of mined cobalt supply of the world, vital for electric vehicle batteries and renewable technologies.  
  • Simultaneously, African oil producers such as Nigeria and Angola increasingly fuel India’s energy needs, with African countries accounting for a rising share of India’s crude imports amidst global supply volatility. 
• Development Partnership and Capacity Building: India’s lines of credit worth over USD 12 billion across 206 projects in 43 African countries underscore its role as a development partner beyond aid.  
  • Capacity-building through India’s ITEC program, educational institutions like IIT Madras’s Zanzibar campus, and vocational training align with Africa’s Agenda 2063 goals.  
  • These initiatives promote human capital development critical for Africa’s industrialization and technological empowerment, fostering a resilient partnership rooted in mutual growth. 
• Diplomatic Leverage and Global Governance: India’s successful advocacy for the African Union’s permanent G20 membership in 2023 marked a diplomatic milestone, enhancing Africa’s role in shaping global economic policies.  
  • India and Africa’s joint initiatives at the WTO on intellectual property waivers for Covid-19 vaccines and agricultural frameworks illustrate their aligned pursuit of equitable global governance.  
  • This strengthened partnership elevates India’s leadership in the Global South while reinforcing Africa’s voice on the world stage. 
• Technological Collaboration and Innovation Partnership: Africa’s growing digital transformation and technological adoption present significant opportunities for India to collaborate in innovation-driven growth sectors. 
  • Indian IT firms and startups are increasingly partnering with African governments to develop smart city projects, fintech solutions, and digital infrastructure, contributing to sustainable urbanization and inclusive economic development. 
  • India, through its leadership in the International Solar Alliance, has committed USD 2 billion towards solar projects in Africa—advancing its energy security objectives while contributing to Africa’s sustainable electrification agenda in a mutually beneficial framework. 

What are the Key Issues Hindering Effective India-Africa Cooperation? 

• Strategic Inertia and Diplomatic Engagement Gaps: India’s delayed political engagement, exemplified by the nine-year gap since the last India-Africa Forum Summit, reflects a strategic inertia that undermines its ability to lead on the continent. 
  • While competing powers maintain active dialogue—China, US, EU, and Russia hosting multiple summits—India’s absence signals waning priority and weakens its agenda-setting role.  
  • This diplomatic vacuum hampers India’s influence in shaping Africa’s future policy frameworks amid shifting global alignments. 
• Complex Security Landscape and Fragile Governance: Africa’s escalating security crises—highlighted by 9 coups from 2020-2023 and persistent armed conflicts—create an unstable environment that deters Indian investments and complicates defense collaboration.  
  • Weak governance structures and rising radicalization challenge India’s capacity to contribute meaningfully to peacekeeping and counterterrorism.  
  • Without addressing these fragile state dynamics, India’s long-term security partnerships remain fragile and episodic. 
• Structural Economic and Infrastructure Bottlenecks:  Fragmented transport and logistics infrastructure, a colonial hangover designed for resource export rather than intra-continental trade, severely restrict the India-Africa trade ambitions.  
  • These infrastructural deficits raise transaction costs, stymie regional value chains, and limit Indian firms’ market access.  
  • The lack of integrated corridors reduces Africa’s attractiveness for Indian manufacturing and investment diversification. 
• Financial Constraints and Global Systemic Biases: Sub-Saharan Africa's spiraling debt crisis, with debt-to-GDP ratios doubling from 30% to 60% in less than a decade, reflects systemic biases in global financial architecture that disproportionately burden developing economies.  
  • India’s lines of credit, though significant, are insufficient to overcome these structural financial constraints. This debt overhang and financial fragility hinder deeper India-Africa collaboration by limiting African countries’ fiscal space to engage in long-term development projects and strategic partnerships. 
• Multipolar Competition Diluting India’s Influence: The intensifying geopolitical contest in Africa among China, US, EU, and Russia challenges India’s ability to carve out a distinct and influential role.  
  • China’s expansive Belt and Road infrastructure projects(first overseas military base in Djibouti) and Africa-focused financing dwarf India’s more modest engagement, while Western powers leverage aid and security ties.  
  • India’s relatively cautious diplomacy and slower economic footprint risk marginalization in strategic sectors crucial for influence. 
• Health Infrastructure Deficits and Regulatory Challenges: Africa’s healthcare systems remain under-resourced. Limited local manufacturing capacity and fragmented regulatory environments impede the sustainability of medical cooperation.  
  • While India supplied vaccines and medicines to 32 African nations, scaling up ‘fill and finish’ vaccine production and affordable medicine distribution faces complex logistical and policy hurdles. 

What Measures can India Adopt to Enhance its Ties with Africa? 

• Institutionalize a Robust Multi-Stakeholder Strategic Dialogue: India should establish an annual India-Africa Strategic Partnership Forum involving governments, private sectors, academia, and civil society for continuous, adaptive engagement.  
  • This would enable joint agenda setting, real-time policy coordination, and swift responses to challenges like food security and climate resilience.  
    • For instance, creating dedicated working groups on trade facilitation can ensure progress monitoring and enhanced policy alignment. 
• Lead Technology Transfer and Innovation-Driven Capacity Building: ndia can set up sectoral innovation hubs and joint R&D centers in key African countries, focusing on agri-tech, renewable energy, digital governance, and healthcare.  
  • The success of the IIT Madras campus in Zanzibar (2023) provides a scalable model for expanding educational and tech incubation centers.  
  • Collaborating on drone-enabled precision agriculture or telemedicine can empower local communities with sustainable, homegrown solutions. 
• Champion Integrated Infrastructure Development via PPP Models: India should co-finance regional transport corridors, energy grids, and digital networks through public-private partnerships, fostering intra-African trade and regional value chains. 
  • India’s expertise in projects like the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor can be adapted to Africa’s context, promoting seamless connectivity and unlocking economic complementarities aligned with AfCFTA goals. 
• Innovate Financial Instruments through Co-Financing and Blended Finance:  India could collaborate with the African Development Bank to launch blended finance vehicles, diaspora bonds, and green bonds to mobilize private capital for infrastructure and SMEs.  
  • These financial innovations would diversify risk and expand fiscal space, mirroring initiatives like the India-Africa Development Fund to support sustainable projects. 
• Deepen Security Partnerships within African-Led Frameworks: India must strengthen its role in African Union security architectures by offering specialized training at the Centre for UN Peacekeeping in New Delhi, expanding intelligence sharing, and enhancing cyber-security cooperation.  
  • Building regional security centers and joint task forces would enhance capabilities to combat terrorism and protect critical maritime routes in the Indian Ocean Region. 
• Institutionalize Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Launching continent-wide scholarships, vocational training, and innovation incubators aligned with Africa’s economic sectors will harness the youth demographic dividend.  
  • Collaborations with Indian start-ups and innovation hubs can foster entrepreneurship, creating job opportunities and deepening people-to-people connections beyond diplomatic engagement. 
• Align Joint Initiatives with Africa’s Green Transition and Climate Resilience: India can co-develop large-scale solar parks modeled on India’s Rewa Ultra Mega Solar project and promote climate-smart agriculture to enhance resilience.  
  • Sharing India’s water-efficient irrigation techniques and sustainable urban transport solutions can accelerate Africa’s green growth in line with Agenda 2063 commitments. 
• Establish a Pan-African Digital Public Infrastructure Consortium: Building on India Stack’s success, India can lead a consortium to create interoperable digital identity, e-governance, and fintech platforms customized for African nations.  
  • Pilot projects in digital land records and payments in Kenya or Rwanda will improve governance transparency and financial inclusion, catalyzing economic empowerment. 
• Shift to Outcome-Oriented, Results-Based Development Cooperation: India should implement robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks with African partners, using data-driven approaches to ensure accountability and impact.  
  • Co-developing success metrics tailored to local priorities will strengthen mutual ownership, transforming aid into measurable socio-economic development. 
  • Supporting diaspora-led business incubators and advisory forums will deepen grassroots diplomacy and amplify India’s soft power organically across Africa. 

Conclusion: 

India-Africa relations stand at a pivotal juncture, offering a unique opportunity to deepen strategic partnerships rooted in mutual respect and shared aspirations. By embracing innovation, inclusive development, and robust multilateral engagement, India can reinforce its role as a trusted partner in Africa’s transformative journey. Strengthening cooperation through outcome-driven initiatives will not only enhance economic growth but also promote sustainable, resilient, and equitable progress. 

Drishti Mains Question:

Examine the evolution of India-Africa relations and analyze their strategic significance in India’s foreign policy.  

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs) 

Prelims

Q. In which one of the following groups are all the four countries members of G20? (2020)

(a) Argentina, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey 

(b) Australia, Canada, Malaysia and New Zealand 

(c) Brazil, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam 

(d) Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea 

Ans: (a) 

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Mains 

Q. ‘The long-sustained image of India as a leader of the oppressed and marginalised nations has disappeared on account of its new found role in the emerging global order.’ Elaborate. (2019)