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2. India and Africa


 

Map 12.3 AFRICA♤ The Advent of European Colonialism brought a shared experience for both.♤ 1960 is referred to as the Year of Africa because of a series of events that took place during the year—namely the independence of seventeen African nations—that highlighted the growing Pan-African sentiments in the continent.♤ The commonality in economic concerns and complementarities in resources and capacity provide India and Africa unique opportunity to cooperate for mutual benefit♤ In the last two decades it is argued that China has stolen a march over India in Africa.♤ 54 countries, Second largest and Second most populous continent in the world. Total GDP in 2015 2.8 trillion US$.♤ In recent years growth in India's trade and investment has been partially affected by global slowdown, yet the long term trajectory remains positive♤ Development Partnershi/Capacity building:2.1.2. Recent Dynamic♤ In October 2017, President Ram Nath Kovind’s first foreign was to the African nations of♤ 2015 summit in New Delhi, Invitation to all 54 heads of stateso At IAFS-2 India promised soft loans of worth 5 billion US$,♤ There is a surge in p2p contacts: Experts, students, patients and Entrepreneurs♤ In 2014-15♤ 34 African countries enjoy duty-free access to the Indian market.2.2.1. Investments in Africa♤ The 2017 African Economic Outlook, at the AfDB summit showed that China led greenfield investment in Africa for 2015-16 (USD 38.4 billion), while during the same year India invested USD 2.2 billion across 64 projects in Africa.♤ Chinese FDI has been accused of bringing in a lot of Chinese labour, which means that a large amount of earnings are repatriated, India’s relatively small presence does not show this pattern as yet.2.3. Development Partnership♤ During the IAFS- 3 in 2015, India offered Africa a concessional credit of $10 billion over five years and a grant assistance of $600 million.♤ India had committed $7.4 billion in concessional credit and $1.2 billion in grant since the first India-Africa Summit in 2008, and creating:♤ African countries and India are extraordinarily rich in bio-diversity, with species of rare flora and fauna which are threatened both by over-exploitation as well as by Climate Change.Figure 12.3 Pan-African e-network♤ Terrorism has affected a large swath of the continent.2.5. Challenges and Opportunities♤ India is not the only one with Africa Strategyo France uniquely suited for partnership in Francophone Africa♤ China has already established its first overseas military base in this Djibouti.♤ Improve last mile delivery chain.♤ Leverage two strong assets private sector and Diaspora♤ 2017 summit meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indian PM Narendra Modi in Gujarat renewed impetus for an Indo-Japanese cooperation in line with their calls for an Asia Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC) during their summit in November 2016.♤ Starting with India and Japan and then expanding to ASEAN and Africa, the AAGC is♤ A Vision Document was relaesed during the African Development Bank Meeting at Ahmedabad in May 2017o AAGC-led growth in Africa and Asia will be responsive to the collective commitment to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).♤ Thus given its scope and ambition, the AAGC would require active cooperation from, and joint work among international community for its success