Indian footprints in Africa
Achildhood fascination for Africa was fulfilled for Ambassador Gurjit Singh when he joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1980. Travels across the African continent during his postings and the view from headquarters have helped unravel for him the enigma of Africa. In his latest book The Harambee Factor he analyses how India-africa relations have evolved over time and what policy changes are required to realise the full potential of our relationship. The cryptic title “Harambee” is a Swahili term that means pulling together in a spirit of cooperative teamwork to achieve common objectives. But, Mr Singh says, it may have an implicit Indian meaning, too— a combination of Hari (Lord Vishnu) and Ambi (Goddess Shakti), which in essence outlines the enduring nature of the India-africa partnership.
The author contextualises the robustness of the relationship in the institutionalisation of the India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS), a strategic platform that provides a huge heft for India to deal with all of African leadership as also leverage Africa’s support for India’s aspiration for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council. At the IAFS-III in 2015 in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while admitting that India’s engagement with Africa may have been wanting, eloquently underlined that India’s approach to Africa, based on partnership, will equip and empower African nations to freedom so as to be able to make their own choices. The author sets out to make an evaluation of our approach by significantly dwelling on the impact assessment of India’s development partnership, trade and investment linkages and people-topeople contacts. With the help of extensive data, graphs and surveys, he makes compelling conclusions and useful recommendations for policy course correction.
Development assistance is a key instrument of India’s foreign policy which is rooted in its commitment to South-south Cooperation to create mutually beneficial partnerships, as compared to the traditional Northsouth assistance that is based on competition and prescription. Traditionally, India’s development assistance has been focussed on capacity building under India Technical and Economic Cooperation since 1964 but gradually expanded to infrastructure projects in the last two decades under Lines of Credits (LOC) and grants. The establishment of the Development Partnership Administration in the Ministry of External Affairs in 2012 signalled the evolution of India from being a recipient country to a major donor.
The use of India’s digital technology tools in development programmes was the real game changer in enhancing people-to-people contacts between the two sides. The Pan African e-network Project in 2005 helped educate more than 21,000 African students under teleeducation platforms. Its successor, the evidyabharati programme, launched in 2019, created virtual university linkages. Several Centers of Excellence in Information and Technology and Vocational Training Centres were set up in response to African countries’ wishes to build their own capacities, which in a modest way, help in the realisation of their Millennium
Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals . Institution-building in Africa is the next logical thing to do, according to the author, especially in agriculture, medical, technical, energy and so on. But to make these institutions sustainable models, he emphasises the need for the participation of the Indian private sector.
Africa’s aspiration for higher growth through industrialisation under “Agenda 2063” needs reliable partners. Africa recognises that the Indian model of LOC projects under long-term concessional financing arrangement can create win-win partnerships. India’s commitment of $30 billion, involving about 600 projects, serves dual objectives — assisting Africa in its infrastructure development and boosting India’s project exports. The author observes that Africa’s poor
infrastructure also provides opportunities for Indian companies to get in. If only higher compliance costs associated with LOCS were streamlined by reducing documentation and simplification of procedures, India’s project implementation prospects in Africa could scale up four-fold.
A close linkage between LOC and boosting of India’s trade, investment and technology has been well brought out. India’s development assistance has helped to enhance bilateral trade to a record $70 billion by 2020 and India’s cumulative foreign direct investments were $46 billion between 2003 and 2019, involving 455 projects mostly in energy, steel, financial services, software and IT communication, automotive, etc, creating 120,000 jobs. Greater private sector participation supported with blended financing arrangements, including trilateral cooperation initiatives in Africa is the way forward according to the author. Further, India could position itself early to take advantage of the ambitious Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement
that has a market size of $1.2 billion and a combined gross domestic product of $3 trillion.
African countries want to emulate 21st century India, which has become a leading global power registering rapid economic growth and making significant advances in digital technologies, start-ups, renewable energy, manufacturing, self-sufficiency in food grains, yet preserving democratic institutions. The author asserts that with India’s footprint across Africa having expanded with opening of new resident missions, partnering Africa more intimately would be enduring.
The reviewer is an Indian Foreign Service Officer currently working in the Ministry of External Affairs