India and Africa, two countries marred by the horrors of colonialism, share ubiquitous history and aspirations in the 21st century. The once wealthiest and resource-rich land mass of the world was pushed to its knees by constant exploitation and colonisation. However, after their Independence, India Africa relations took steps that prevented the past from happening and prepared them to help others if the same happened. Of many avenues of collaboration like trade, cultural exchange and economic cooperation, defence collaborations are the most significant.
India and Africa’s bilateral relationship dates back several thousand years. With its accurate geographical placement, mentions of Africa can be found in the Ramayana. However, modern historians record the Indo-African relationship, to the period of the Indus Valley civilisation. Trade roots by sea became common knowledge during the Greek civilisation. The sea root to India, a discovery credited to Vasco da Gama, was also discovered when he came across a diamond merchant from India in Malindi on the east coast of Africa. After 1947, India’s independence, though both found several avenues of common interests, India and Africa could not pursue the bilateral relation that matched the past. Africa was still fragmented and some of its countries were either under colonial rule or in proxy wars. India was also undergoing a journey of its own economic discovery and border problems.
However, in the post-modern days, the ever-changing world order made headway toward a flourishing India-Africa bilateral relationship. But Why?
One of the principal reasons for this flourished relationship is that both India and Africa have their foot set on the global stage as serious contenders. The economic and technological progression of India and the stabilisation of the African continent via umbrella organisations like the African Union further strengthened their standing.
Traditionally the West tried to exploit the African continent via ethical or unethical means both in colonial and post-colonial times. This made the Union aversive towards the Western hands. China which emerged as a potential friend in the East, too tried to impose an unfair influence by various debt traps and shady dealings. In contrast to that, India has always been transparent and cooperative when it comes to African countries. It always promoted mutual development and advocated for the continent’s just representation in various global forums.
Apart from that mutual interest in defence and military enhancement, maritime security, counter-terrorism, and cultural exchange have also contributed to this flourishing relationship.
India Africa Defence Cooperation
Joint Army Chiefs Conclave (March 2023)
India and Africa conducted their first-ever joint Army Chiefs Conclave on March 28, 2023. The conclave was divided into two sessions where the first session explored the key pillars of India and Africa’s Defence Partnership, while the second session focused on the Indian Defence Industry’s Outreach to Africa. This conclave was held alongside the second edition of the Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX), which aimed to strengthen confidence-building and military relationships between the Armed Forces of India and Africa.
India-Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD)
India-Africa Defence Dialogue held on the sidelines of DefExpo in Gandhinagar, Gujarat in the year 2022. Adopting a Strategy for Synergizing and Strengthening Defence and Security Cooperation and exploring new areas of convergence for mutual engagements including capacity building, training, cyber security, maritime security and counter-terrorism, were the key discussion points of this event. The increment of joint practice exercise, defence research fellowship and several defence deals along with joint effort for humanitarian assistance marked the success of the event. Apart from that India extended concessional loans of over USD 12.3 billion and granted USD 700 million in assistance. India has completed 197 projects, 65 more are currently under execution, and 81 are at the pre-execution stage that were undertaken during the summit.
Training & Capacity Building
Under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program, India engages in military-to-military cooperation activities with almost one-third of the 54 African nations. Training covers various fields such as security and strategic studies, defence management, engineering, logistics, and quality assurance services. The ITEC has devoted more than a third of its accounts to African countries in four areas: capacity building, project assistance, scholarships, and institution-building. It has trained over 200,000 civilian and defence professionals from 160 countries—mostly in Africa.
Defence Academies and Colleges
India has established defence academies and colleges in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Tanzania and deployed teams for training in Botswana, Namibia, Uganda, Lesotho, Zambia, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Tanzania.
Defence Exports
According to the Indian Ministry of Defence’s 2023 year-end report major defence exports were facilitated between India and African nations to decrease the dependency of the continent on Western weapon manufacturers. These include Dornier-228, 155 mm Advanced Towed Artillery Guns, Brahmos Missiles, Akash Missile System, Radars, Simulators, Mine Protected Vehicles, Armoured Vehicles, PINAKA Rockets & Launchers, Ammunitions, Thermal Imagers, Body Armours, besides Systems, Line Replaceable Units and Parts & components of Avionics and Small Arms.
Apart from these, India’s SAGAR initiative, joint navy exercises and Joint capacity-building exercises are also bolstering India-Africa maritime defence relations.
The Future of India Africa Relations
From here on the future of this bilateral relationship will not only be strong but also be flourishing. Through Kampala Principles (10 guiding principles for India-Africa relations) and Roadmap 2030, India and the African nations adopted the necessary steps to uphold the growth trajectory. Some of the key focus points of these policies are
- Economic collaboration: According to current estimations, India’s total investment in Africa is at USD 73.9 billion for the economic year 2023. Under roadmap 2030, this number is projected to be at USD 150 billion. Along with trade, military exports, both from private and government sectors, is expected to occupy a large chunk of this figure.
- Development of Human Resource: India is planning to remodel its ITEC programme, which engages in military-to-military cooperation activities, to Indian Council for Cultural Relation in the African continent. Through fellowship and scholarships, named after prominent African figures, India is hoping to boost indigenous military research for Africa. In immediate future, it also planning to set up programmes for cybersecurity and counter-terrorism along with pre-existing defence programmes.
- Apart from defence ties, India and Africa also work together in traditional avenues. The trade between India and Africa is at 103B USD in 2023. India is also the second largest lender in Africa, with strong public-private partnerships and safeguards protecting borrowers from debt distress. Both India and the African Union are also pushing for fair and just representation for each other in International avenues.
In the evolving landscape of international relations, India and Africa both regions face many common challenges and their collaboration holds immense potential for peace, stability, and prosperity for the global world order. The journey ahead involves deeper engagement, joint exercises, and a commitment to a safer world for all as India and Africa stand at the cusp of a new era in defence relations.