India and Africa: A Partnership Beyond Geopolitics

India and Africa have a historic and umbilical relationship. It makes for a good talking point during speeches, but it will need an objective assessment of the extent and depth of our engagement to withstand scrutiny and help devise better policy choices. It is also a fact that India has consistently, even if occasionally in an ad hoc manner, engaged with African countries. It emerged as a strong voice for their emancipation from the colonial yoke and, from then on, through the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), has stood for and advocated the core concerns of African countries, especially the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), in international forums, be it GATT/WTO, the UN/CHOGM, or climate change negotiations. India has also advocated these concerns in the context of a reformed UN Security Council (UNSC). During its G20 presidency in 2023, India ensured that the African Union (AU) became a permanent member of the G20. This has been widely appreciated and has earned India an immeasurable affection quotient across Africa.