For India, the rise of Africa is key to geopolitical rebalancing: S Jaishankar

India’s development partnership with Africa will have a strong focus on digital, green, healthcare, food security and water, in tune with the pressing priorities of Africa, stated Dr. S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, Government of India at the 18th CII-EXIM Bank India Conclave on India-Africa Growth Partnership, jointly organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and EXIM Bank of India here on Wednesday.

The Minister was speaking at the inaugural session “India-Africa: Synergies for ONE Growth”. Recent Indian experiences in Africa including India’s digital delivery of public goods, deployment of green technologies, Covid response and healthcare efforts, among others have been impactful and will foster inclusive development in Africa, he added.


While referring to the significant growth in India Africa bilateral trade flows, Jaishankar expressed that the implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will pave the way for increased investments by Indian companies in Africa. “India is already among the top five large investors in Africa and I am confident that this will grow in the coming times," he added.

Jaishankar stated that India is committed to share experiences and knowhow for facilitating Africa’s energy transition and encouraged the African countries to join the Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) movement launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Further, he also urged Africa to promote the cultivation and consumption of millets in line with the UN Year of Millets, which was again proposed by Prime Minister Modi.

Gen (Retd) Dr. C.G.D.N Chiwenga, Vice President, Republic of Zimbabwe, noted that it was a boon to have deep bilateral relations amidst the current geopolitical tensions and the pandemic. He also noted that the implementation of the AfCFTA would trigger investments, and develop the tourism sector, agriculture, manufacturing, etc.

Vital Kamerhe Lwa Kanyiginyi, Deputy Prime Minister, Democratic Republic of Congo stated that the Democratic Republic of Congo has been preserving its forest cover, rich with mineral resources and has the potential to generate hydropower which can be utilised for accelerated development. He welcomed Indian businesses to participate in construction of rail lines and highways connecting the remotest areas of the African continent.

R Dinesh, President, CII, recommended expanding Indian bank presence, strengthening healthcare cooperation, enhancing online education and digital partnerships, and prioritising green energy collaboration including scaling up lines of credit for green projects and sharing knowledge and R&D outputs to deepen India-Africa partnership.

Noel Tata, Chair of CII Africa Committee, stressed upon Africa's economic integration, and the need for boosting domestic manufacturing in Africa.

S Kuppuswamy, Co-chair of CII Africa Committee, emphasised integration for development of both sides. Chandrajit Banerjee, DG, CII, stated that the Conclave aims to strengthen India-Africa cross-border partnerships.

In the session, two EXIM Bank of India reports were released, titled 'Forging Sustainable India-Africa Partnership through Green Transition’ and ‘India's Investment Potential in Africa’.