At the 20th Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) India–Africa Business Conclave, the government called for doubling India–Africa bilateral trade by 2030.

Key Takeaways from the Conclave On India-Africa Partnership

• Focus on: Value addition, technology-driven agriculture, renewable energy, and healthcare.
• Industrial Collaboration over Commodity Trade: Need to move beyond commodity trade towards industrial collaboration and value addition.
• India as a Service Powerhouse: India as a cost-competitive partner in services like engineering, IT, AI, and architecture.
• Africa as a Resource Partner: Africa as a reliable source of critical minerals, energy, and agricultural commodities.
• Shared Development Goals: Ensuring long-term prosperity by generating employment, reducing regional imbalances, and advancing green growth.

Present Status of India-Africa Partnership Trade

• Balanced Bilateral Trade: Bilateral trade is fairly balanced with India’s exports at USD 42.7 billion and imports at USD 40 billion.
• Untapped Opportunities in Africa’s Import Profile: Africa’s import profile reflects untapped opportunities, for instance, in the automobile sector where Africa imports USD 20 billion worth of vehicles annually, but India supplies only USD 2 billion.
• Exploring Complementarities over Competition: There is vast scope for exploring complementarities rather than competition.

Priority Sectors for India-Africa Partnership

• Agriculture and Food Security: Collaboration in technology-driven agriculture, cooperative and self-help group models, and crop diversification. 
  • Africa can support India with critical minerals and petroleum products, while India can provide fertilizers, agricultural technology, and food products.
• Industry and Manufacturing: Expansion in the automobile sector including passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, two and three wheelers, and affordable electric mobility solutions. 
  • Shift from raw material exports to value-added production for global markets.
• Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals: Affordable generic medicines, vaccines, medical equipment, and medical tourism. 
  • The COVID-19 pandemic showcased India’s role as a trusted supplier of medicines and vaccines.
• Renewable Energy and Critical Minerals: Joint efforts in solar energy, wind power, and battery technologies. 
  • Africa’s mineral wealth, including cobalt and lithium, is critical for India’s green transition.
• Digital and Financial Systems: Adoption of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) can reduce transaction costs and strengthen Africa’s financial infrastructure. 
  • Opportunities exist in IT, AI, telecom, and fintech services.
• Human Capital and Knowledge Sharing: Cooperation in education, skill development, start-ups, R&D, and youth partnerships to create future-ready workforces.

Strategic Significance

• Demographic Strength: India and Africa together account for over 2 billion people, representing one-third of the global population.
• Historical Bonds: Deep historical bonds through freedom struggles and Mahatma Gandhi’s association with South Africa.
• Global South Leadership: Shared responsibility of the Global South in influencing global decision-making at WTO, UN, and other multilateral platforms.
• Converging Aspirations: Alignment of developmental aspirations with Viksit Bharat 2047 and Africa’s own prosperity goals.

DOWNLOAD PDF