By Mansi, Jeanette and Aakash
Introduction
India’s role in African development has evolved into a robust partnership built on historical ties spanning 2000 years ago, shared colonial experiences, and mutual aspirations for economic growth, sustainability, and global influence. Through initiatives in agriculture, healthcare, education, renewable energy, trade, and infrastructure, India has emerged as a key development partner for Africa. Their collaboration is further reinforced by India’s commitment to capacity-building and technology sharing, aligning with Africa’s strategic vision under Agenda 2063. This article explores the foundations, key sectors, and challenges of the India-Africa development partnership, while also addressing the external influences shaping the relationship, particularly competition from China.
India’s Role in African Development
The African continent is unique on earth. Due to its huge land mass, it is the second-largest continent in the world, covering over 30 million square kilometers with diverse political and physical landscapes that give rise to different issues. These issues were the subject of discussion when new independent African nations united to establish the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963. The OAU was founded to foster unity and solidarity among the newly formed countries and serve as a collective voice for the African continent. Building upon this foundation, the African Union (AU) was launched in 2002 to counter the historical divisions of the African continent. The AU works with RECs (Regional Economic Commissions), ECOWAS (West Africa), SADC (Southern Africa), and EAC (East Africa) to address regional issues and coordinate with the AU, which cannot be addressed effectively by individual states alone.
In the case study of the European Union, the individual states harmoniously emerge as a single entity. Similarly, the AU needs a common interest to serve the collective welfare of African nations. This requires political inclusiveness and policy harmonization, crucial for continental integration.
Africa’s Policy on Regional Integration
One such policy effort was the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), launched in July 2001. It was established as a socio-economic initiative aimed at enhancing economic collaboration and integration among African nations, which catalyzed conversations regarding the necessity of genuine African integration.
Agenda 2063, a visionary blueprint, serves as a master plan for transforming Africa into a global powerhouse by leveraging globalization in the future. This strategic framework strives for sustainable and inclusive development and is a tangible representation of Pan-Africanism. Agenda 2063 paves the way for economic development, continental integration, democratic governance, peace, and security.
The AFCFTA is one of Agenda 2063’s flagship projects. The African Continental Free Trade Area is the world’s largest free trade area, uniting all 55 AU member states and eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs). Its broad mandate is to develop a single continental market with a population of approximately 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of about USD 3.4 trillion.
As the development agency responsible for implementing Agenda 2063, the NEPAD Agency firmly believes that enhancing infrastructure to support both regional and international trade is essential for industrialization. This is key to achieving a prosperous and economically integrated Africa.
India-Africa Relations
India and Africa share a history spanning over 2000 years. Trade relations were established early, fostering a sense of fraternity and a shared commitment to equality and sovereignty. Both regions also share the legacy of British colonial rule, which led to collaboration based on common struggles for independence, equality, human rights, and democracy.
The Gandhian movement in South Africa marked the genesis of this historical connection. Over time, ties were further strengthened through the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Nehru’s Panchsheel, bilateral dialogues, high-level visits, policy initiatives, diplomatic cooperation, and active participation in South-South Cooperation.
Indo-African relations have evolved, with India emerging as a reliable ally for Africa, while African nations have supported India’s aspiration for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Since the establishment of the OAU in 1963 and later the AU in 2002, India has been a key partner in African development. Collaboration focuses on capacity building, particularly in education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
Initiatives like the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program offer training and scholarships for African professionals. The India-Africa Forum Summit, initiated in 2008, further strengthened political, economic, and cultural ties. Together, India and the AU aim to promote sustainable development, regional stability, and mutual prosperity.
In keeping with the 10 guiding principles of the Indian government’s partnership with Africa, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar remarked, “We are here to build Africa, not to extract it.” India’s approach to Africa is about building, not extracting: Jaishankar at Japan-India-Africa forum. (2025, February 26). These principles include climate action, agricultural support, keeping markets open, sharing India’s digital revolution experience, improving public service delivery, expanding education, spreading digital literacy, and working with African nations to keep the ocean open and free for all.
Economic and Financial Cooperation
India is also Africa’s second-largest lender, with fiscal assistance provided through the African Development Bank (AFDB). India’s total investment in Africa stands at USD 75 billion, with plans to increase it to USD 150 billion by 2030. Trade between India and Africa increased from USD 68.5 billion (2011-12) to USD 83.34 billion (2023-24), making India Africa’s third-largest trading partner after China and the EU.
India’s Role in Africa’s Development – Sectoral Collaboration
Agriculture and Agri-food Processing
Agriculture serves as a cornerstone of India-Africa collaboration. Indian agricultural knowledge and agro-technologies have boosted African agrifood productivity and supported regional food security. India also aids in implementing sustainable irrigation and technology transfer.
Health
India consistently supports Africa’s health sector by supplying affordable medicines and vaccines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, India exported medicines, vaccines, and healthcare supplies to 32 African nations.
Education
India remains a long-standing ally in African education, with over 40,000 African students benefiting from ITEC programs. Since 2019, over 15,000 youth from 22 African countries received scholarships through e-Vidya Bharti and e-Arogya Bharti programs. India also established institutions like IIT Zanzibar, National Forensic Science University in Uganda, and Entrepreneurship Development Centres in Rwanda.
Renewable Energy and Clean Technologies
Sustainable development and green energy cooperation thrive under the International Solar Alliance (ISA), where both India and Africa are active participants. ISA supports solar roadmaps for Madagascar, Chad, Guinea, and Uganda, along with training 2,282 African participants. Initiatives like STAR-C (Solar Technology Application Resource Centre) and SolarX Startup Challenge further enhance Africa’s solar capabilities. The Green Hydrogen Innovation Centre (GHIC), launched under India’s G20 Presidency (2023), promotes green hydrogen development across Africa.
Challenges in India-Africa Cooperation
Despite strong collaboration, internal and external challenges persist. Not all joint projects benefit all 55 AU member states, especially in rural areas with weak electricity and internet access. Corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency also hinder project implementation.
Africa’s path to development remains challenged by persistent instability, with unending insurgencies, border disputes caused by colonialism, and political instability. The continent never ceases to face continental threats caused by weak democratic systems, and significant deposits of resources. The Sahel region, for instance, is the Arc of Instability, known for its long-lasting terrorist attacks, and coups d’état, which always catch the attention of African leaders, thereby neglecting and delaying decision-making on AU and India cooperation. There is an ongoing conflict in DRC caused by the M23 rebel group and Rwandan Military Force, At the same time the abundant natural resources especially precious minerals found in Congolese soil have globalized the conflict in eastern DRC. (Council on Foreign Relations, 2025) At the same time, countries have varying foreign policies, particularly those with abundant natural resources, they focus on maximizing agriculture, and this creates a mismatch for India’s Pan-African collaboration. These varied priorities, coupled with structural instability and competing external influences, underscore the complexity of fostering cohesive, long-term partnerships between Africa and India.
China’s Competition
India also faces stiff competition from China, which dominates African investments. China’s long-standing relationship with Africa has imposed a sense of competition towards its fellow Asian neighbour India. Over the years, China expanded its influence in Africa through the means of soft power, providing disaster aid, and loans to African countries to boost their economies, and improving their infrastructure through initiatives like BRI. China has made its mark on African soil, and it takes a lot for India to surpass it. China’s foreign direct investment (FDI) stock increased more than three-fold from $9 billion in 2009 to $32 billion and China overtook South Africa as the largest investor from a developing country in the region. On the other hand, Indian FDI stock in Africa increased sluggishly from $12 billion in 2009 to $15 billion in 2014 at a compound annual growth rate of only five per cent. (Chakrabarty, 2020)
Conclusion
In conclusion India’s engagement with Africa rooted in history and further strengthen through trade, bilateral dialogues and through their common aim for sustainable development. While India focused on the capacity building and technology transfer and sustainable development that aligns with Africa’s developmental goal of Agenda 2063. India’s approach for the collaboration was it’s emphasis on soft power, human resources development in Africa while India’s deep integration with African Union, it’s alignment with AFCFTA, and focus on climate resilience will ensure long term sustainability.
This article also explores the Africa’s internal governance challenges like corruption and terrorism that often slows down the pace of collaboration. India faces stiff financial competition from China that counts as an another challenge. In order to overcome this India is require to compete smartly with China and offer African nations a compelling alternative development pathway that is developmental and sustainable.
In the long run, India and the AU aim to promote sustainable development, tackle climate change, and foster regional economic integration. Aligning with Agenda 2063 is critical for India’s strategy in Africa. Through Pan-Africanism, regional collaboration, and inclusive development, India and Africa can jointly build a prosperous future.
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