India Africa relations (economic & cultural) date back to pre-colonial era and were strengthened during the national independence movement of India (due to leaders like M.K Gandhi). After India's independence the factors like the success of Gandhian non-violent methods, establishment and survival of modern ideals of secularism, development etc. in India, despite various hurdles, etc. became important models for many young African nations. However, after a few decades of aloofness, in 2000s, the ties between the continent and India remerged in importance.

In the current phase, India is becoming an increasingly important economic partner for African countries. Its ties with Africa can be traced to a strong, shared history based on the principles of South–South cooperation, people-to-people linkages and common development challenges. In fact, the centuries-old ties between India and Africa, especially with countries in eastern and southern Africa, were firmed up due to India’s consistent support to anti-colonial and anti-racist liberation and apartheid struggles in South Africa. Once the political battles for liberation in Africa were formally won, economic factors began to dominate India-Africa ties.

Importance of Africa

India has significant political, strategic, economic and maritime stakes in engaging with Africa.
• Resource rich region- Africa is very resource-rich and has moved from being an underdeveloped continent to having several fast-growing economies, and new democracies.
• Economic Growth- The economic growth of the continent that is estimated to be 3.2 per cent in 2018. It also houses six of the world’s fastest growing economies as per world bank estimates. Additionally, several African countries have been providing incentives to attract foreign investors and partners in growth thus providing an opportunity for India.
• Reform in global institutions- India’s ambition to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council makes it imperative that it engages with all 54 countries of the continent.
• Investment opportunities for private sector- A number of Indian multinationals already have significant interests and investments in the region, with strategic sectors including agribusiness, pharmaceuticals, information and communications technology (ICT), and energy.

1. Africa has emerged as an important market for Indian goods and services, as well as a vital element in India’s quest for strategic minerals and other natural resources needed to feed its burgeoning economy.
2.  India can also unleash massive possibilities in digital penetration in the continent.

• Convergence of interest- Two partners are aligned on the outstanding issues at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and are in favor of multilateral trading systems. At the Bali Ministerial in 2013 too, Africa and India had united in seeking an interim mechanism for safeguarding minimum support prices to farmers against WTO caps till a permanent solution is found and adopted.

1. Cooperation to tackle terrorism: India strongly advocated stepped-up cooperation through intelligence exchange and training with 54 African countries.
2.  Cooperation on climate change between India and Africa, both who had “contributed the least to global warming”.
3.  There’s a convergence of interest for reforming the Security Council. It is imperative for both sides to speak in “one voice” for Security Council reforms.
4.  Peace keeping operation: India is the largest contributor to UN-mandated peacekeeping and other operations in Africa, with more than 30,000 personnel involved in 17 of 22 total missions in the region since 1960.
5.  India provides a useful model for democratic development. Indeed, the world's largest democracy is increasingly responding to requests from African governments to share its democratic experience, offering training on electronic voting systems, parliamentary procedures, federal governance, and an independent judicial system to strengthen the rule of law.

India’s challenges in Africa

• Political instability: Political instability in number of African Nation may impact India’s long-term investment opportunities.
• Terrorism in Africa: There has been an extraordinary increase in terrorist attacks by extremists connected to al-Qaida and ISIS across Africa over the recent years.
• Africans in India: India will have to make efforts to make African nationals feel welcome. In recent months, there has been a spate of assaults on Africans based in India. These assaults generate a negative image of India in Africa and may impact on century-old ties with the continent.
• Lack of Coordination: There is very little coordination between Indian State and its businesses in Africa and the role of India Inc. is limited while drafting policies. Thus, India has no coordinated Africa policy nor does there seem to be an avenue where the strengths of both actors can be leveraged.
• Financial Limitations:

1. In terms of cheque book diplomacy, India cannot compete with China or U.S. Some of the African countries, even the richer ones like Nigeria, expect India to bear gifts for them under India Africa Forum Summit. However, India asserts for joint endeavor for better development.
2.  Further the region is affected by debilitating poverty, disease and lack of opportunities for the youth who are entering the labor market in larger numbers.
3.  Resources available even from traditional donors belonging to the OECD and from multilateral financial institutions are diminishing despite adoption of ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) making India Africa development partnership even more important.

• China’s strong presence in the continent:

• India and China are competing with each other to build a stronger relationship with Africa. China even built up its first overseas military base in Djibouti.
• While China’s aggressive economic approach has caused it to achieve more influence in Africa than any other country, its dominance is slowly being impeded by India’s growing involvement in the region.
• The African nations are increasingly realizing that though Chinese investments are attractive, there are certain issues like:

1.  Chinese companies instead of employing locals use Chinese workers.
2.  It is also seen that these companies don’t pay much attention to environment protection.
3.  Chinese loans come with strict conditions that only Chinese technology will be utilized.

? These concerns have mainly been raised by civil society; however, many governments have also started looking beyond China.