India to solidify partnership with Africa at high-stakes summit

India is set to unveil an ambitious roadmap to further solidify its ties with the African continent at a crucial summit on May 31 that will primarily focus on ramping up cooperation in an array of sectors in the face of increasing geopolitical upheavals. Top leaders of a sizeable number of African nations are expected to attend the fourth India Africa Forum Summit to be held in New Delhi, officials said on Saturday.

The summit will primarily focus on boosting cooperation in areas of economy and trade, agriculture, health, education, climate action, defence, space technology, energy, critical minerals and high-technologies among others, they said. ''We are looking at enhancing our economic partnership in a big way,'' said one of the officials while emphasising that the aim will be to transform the relationship into a forward-looking partnership under a robust developmental framework.

A declaration will be unveiled at the end of the summit that will outline the broad agenda of cooperation, dovetailing New Delhi's vision to transform the nation into a developed country by 2047 with Africa's Agenda 2063 to spur mutual growth. The India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) is taking place after a gap of over 10 years. The third IAFS was held in New Delhi in October 2015. ''The upcoming summit will aim to impart transformational changes in the relationship,'' the official said. India's policy approach for development partnership with the African continent has been guided by African priorities and local ownership.

New Delhi has also been focusing on boosting its presence in the African continent. Since 2018, India has expanded its diplomatic footprint in Africa by opening 17 new missions taking the total number to 46. India has extended more than 190 Lines of Credit (LoCs) of amount over USD 10 billion to 41 African countries, according to official data.

India is currently Africa's fourth-largest trading partner and among its top five investors. For the financial year 2024-25, trade between India and Africa amounted to USD 81.99 billion with India's export amounting to USD 42.6 billion and India's India's imports amounted to USD 39.2 billion. India's exports to Africa include petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, According to official estimates, India's cumulative investment in Africa reached approximately USD 80 billion between 1996 and 2025. According to official estimates, India's cumulative investment in Africa has reached approximately USD 80 billion between 1996 and 2025.

Indian companies have established a strong presence across sectors such as energy, mining, telecommunications, manufacturing, agriculture, and services, the officials said. India has extended more than 190 Lines of Credit (LoCs) of amount over USD 10 billion to 41 African countries, supporting projects in sectors such as power, water supply, agriculture, transport, rural electrification, and digital connectivity. So far, 220 projects worth of USD 4.5 billion have been successfully completed, the officials said. India's Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) Scheme provides duty-free access on 98.2 per cent of India's tariff lines for Least Developed Countries, benefiting 33 African nations, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)