India - Africa Relations

Historical Background

Long before colonial powers arrived, India and Africa were connected by the sea. Trade routes between India's west coast and Africa's east coast were busy and prosperous. Over the centuries these exchanges slowly faded.

Colonisation damaged these contacts and eroded the trust that trade depends on. Independence, for India and for the countries of Africa, gave the relationship fresh momentum. India took a leading role in the fight against apartheid, especially in South Africa, and in the wider struggle for decolonisation. Under the banner of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), India worked to remain Africa's natural ally, even though its practical reach on the continent was limited at first.

Because of the sweeping changes in both regions over the last half century, India and Africa now cooperate at many levels. Despite pockets of conflict, the mood across much of the continent is hopeful. This African Renaissance is drawing global attention: most African countries have adopted multiparty democracy, and Sub-Saharan Africa is home to seven of the world's ten fastest-growing economies. You can find more of these standardized notes in our International Relations collection.

Economic Relationships

Over the last two decades India has grown into one of the world's largest economies, and this has lifted the India-Africa partnership to new heights. Roughly two million people of Indian origin live across the continent, which adds a human dimension to the relationship. Africa also offers valuable natural resources and a fast-growing middle-class market. After the 2008 and 2011 India-Africa Summits, a range of development projects and trade measures were announced.

Some facts that show the depth of India's engagement with Africa (older figures, kept for context):

• Trade rose from about US$20 billion in 2010 to US$53 billion in 2011.
• At the first summit in 2008, India offered preferential market access to 34 of Africa's least developed countries.
• India extended lines of credit (LOCs) worth roughly US$10 billion.
• India's Ministry of External Affairs set up a dedicated Development Partnership Administration to deliver projects under these credit lines.
• The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme became a model of South-South cooperation.
• The Ministry of Commerce launched FOCUS AFRICA to boost trade and investment with Sub-Saharan African countries.

Way forward: the ITEC programme

The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme is a bilateral assistance programme run by the Government of India. It is demand-driven and response-oriented, which means it is shaped by what partner countries actually ask for. ITEC works with 158 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, and several Pacific and Caribbean nations, and includes a special Commonwealth assistance programme for Africa.

Africa's move towards globalisation is shaped by both internal and external forces. Internal policy covers agriculture, industry and services, along with monetary and fiscal tools. External policy covers trade, capital flows and development assistance, including the choice between import substitution and export-led growth. Import substitution can displace some workers as demand shifts from foreign to local goods, while export-led growth can help both existing and new industries raise output and create jobs. The broad trend has been a shift away from heavy state control and towards the market.

African economies have opened up, but often with weaker bargaining power than developed countries. Many have depended on commodity exports, faced falling terms of trade, and received limited foreign direct investment (FDI). In this setting, both China and India have built a path into Africa as fellow developing countries that are more responsive to African needs.

How does India compare with China as a partner for Africa?

According to several studies, India has done well at hiring local Africans for its business ventures, while some Chinese firms have been criticised for low wages and harsh working conditions. India also has strengths that match Africa's needs:

• Education and IT: India can support African development through skill transfer and human resource development. Online education is one area where India, a world leader in the field, offers solutions that are far cheaper than many alternatives and taught in English.
• Agriculture: India has experience in areas such as small-farm mechanisation that could help Africa tackle food security. Indian investors have planned projects to grow maize, palm oil and rice in East Africa.
• Health and pharmaceuticals: India offers affordable medicines and a development model built on a plural, multicultural and democratic society, which fits Africa's own diversity of ethnic, linguistic and religious communities.

Technology and science

The Pan-African e-Network Project was an ICT partnership between India and the African Union. It aimed to connect the African Union's member states to India, and to each other, through a satellite and fibre-optic network. This allowed sharing of expertise in tele-education, telemedicine, Voice over Internet Protocol, resource mapping, weather services and e-governance. Described as one of Africa's largest ever ICT projects, it was designed to extend digital infrastructure to rural and underserved areas, and is often cited as an example of India using soft power and South-South cooperation to help bridge Africa's digital divide.

Importance of energy

Much of India's engagement in Africa is driven by mining and hydrocarbons. More than 70% of India's oil comes from the Middle East, so Delhi is keen to diversify its suppliers by buying more oil from African countries. India has worked to strengthen ties with major oil producers such as Nigeria and Ghana, and it also imports coal from South Africa.

India's oil imports from the continent grew from about 22 million tonnes in 2004-05 to more than 35 million tonnes in 2010-11. Africa supplies roughly a quarter of India's crude oil imports, with Nigeria the largest single source. India has also invested in oil and gas blocks in several regions, including Sudan. The Gulf of Guinea, on Africa's west coast, has become one of the world's newer oil hotspots, and the US Energy Information Administration has pointed to strong growth potential in the region. Through the TEAM-9 initiative (Techno-Economic Approach for Africa-India Movement), India built special cooperation with eight West African countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Senegal.

Political significance

Beyond the economy, India has regularly sent troops to African peacekeeping missions. Since 1960, more than 100,000 Indian soldiers have served in over 40 missions. India also has a strategic interest here: it needs the support of African countries in its long-running bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

These growing ties led to the India-Africa Delhi Summit in April 2008, attended by 14 African countries. Its aim was to build a strong partnership in areas such as trade and energy, and on global issues such as United Nations reform, terrorism and climate change. India also sought African support on international peace and security, poverty reduction, health, capacity building and ICT cooperation. Confidence at the summit was boosted by a sixfold rise in India-Africa trade over the previous five years.

Cultural significance

India's expansion into Africa has a social and cultural side too. Sadly, limited awareness has sometimes produced distorted images of Africa, often based on old colonial narratives and selective reporting on famine, drought and war. These need to be corrected through accurate information and genuine cultural exchange. In the same way, African views of India have sometimes been shaped only by Bollywood films and songs, or by stories about India's recent growth. If both sides benefit economically, there is also room for dialogue and cultural enrichment. Real person-to-person contact, through civil society, technology, travel and educational exchange, can build a deeper understanding. Such ties echo Gandhian ideas of a relationship that goes beyond material gain and is humane and non-exploitative.

As part of the ITEC initiative, India shared its Covid-19 management strategies and ran training webinars for African healthcare professionals, led by Indian health experts.

India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS)

The India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) is the official platform for India-Africa relations. It has been held roughly once every three years since 2008. Working through the African Union (AU), India has built ties with African states across three summits: New Delhi in 2008, Addis Ababa in 2011, and New Delhi again in 2015. The 2015 summit was the largest, with leaders from across the continent taking part.

Why it still matters

The notes above cover the foundations, but the India-Africa story is very much a live one. Two recent developments show how far it has moved.

Africa now has a permanent seat at the world's top economic table. At the G20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi on 9 and 10 September 2023, held during India's G20 presidency, the African Union was admitted as a permanent member of the G20. This brought all 55 African nations into the group, which is only the second regional bloc, after the European Union, to gain a permanent seat. For students, this is a clear example of India using its diplomacy to give the Global South a stronger voice.

Trade has crossed a major milestone. In August 2025, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, said India-Africa trade had crossed US$100 billion in 2024-25, up from about US$56 billion in 2019-20. India is now among Africa's top trading partners, cumulative Indian investment in Africa passed US$75 billion between 1996 and 2024, and India has set a target to double this trade by 2030. Compare these live figures with the older numbers earlier in these notes, and you can see how quickly the relationship is growing.

To keep exploring how India connects with the wider world, browse more study notes or visit the Learnacy Hub, where topics like this are tied to real world affairs.

Sources

1. G20 Research Group, India's G20 Presidency: A Synopsis
2. Press Information Bureau, India's G20 Presidency and the induction of the African Union
3. Business Standard, India-Africa trade surpasses US$100 bn in 2024-25
4. Ministry of External Affairs, India-Africa Relations background brief

Key takeaways

• India and Africa share a long history of maritime trade that was disrupted by colonization but revitalized after both regions gained independence.
• Economic ties have expanded significantly, driven by Africa's natural resources and growing markets, alongside India's provision of credit lines and preferential market access.
• India supports African development through demand-driven initiatives like the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme.
• Compared to other foreign investors, India is noted for hiring local workers and sharing a democratic, multicultural development model that aligns with Africa's diversity.
• India provides targeted expertise to Africa in key sectors such as affordable healthcare, agricultural mechanization, and English-language online education.

Test yourself

How many of the world's ten fastest-growing economies are located in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Seven.

Which Indian assistance program is specifically described as being demand-driven and response-oriented?

The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme.

What is the name of the information and communication technology partnership created between India and the African Union?

The Pan-African e-Network Project.

Frequently asked questions

What role did the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) play in India-Africa relations?

NAM positioned India as a natural ally of Africa during decolonisation, aligning with Africa’s struggle against apartheid and colonialism, even as practical engagement was initially limited.

How does the ITEC programme reflect India’s approach to Africa?

ITEC is a demand-driven, response-oriented bilateral assistance programme that tailors support to partner countries’ needs, making it a model of South-South cooperation.

Why is Africa’s internal policy shift towards market-oriented growth significant for India?

Africa’s move away from heavy state control and towards market mechanisms creates opportunities for trade, investment, and job creation, aligning with India’s engagement priorities.

What is the significance of the Indian diaspora in Africa for bilateral relations?

The presence of roughly two million people of Indian origin across Africa adds a human dimension to the relationship, fostering cultural and economic ties.