India-Africa Forum Summit

Rashtrapati Bhavan may be used to hosting lavish banquets for visiting dignitaries, but when an unprecedented 50-plus heads of state and government from Africa all come together to meet President Pranab Mukherjee next month, it could get a little overwhelming. Preparations are afoot on the protocol to be followed when over 50 leaders come for the dinner banquet to be hosted by Mukherjee on October 29.

The Third India-Africa Forum Summit is being held in the capital from October 26 to 29. With 54 African Union leaders, plus AU commissioner Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, and their entourages in the capital, it is set to be the largest gathering of foreign leaders in India since the Non-Aligned Summit in New Delhi in 1983 and the Commonwealth Summit the same year.

The India-Africa Forum Summit is a celebration of the close partnership between Africa and India. It is an acknowledgement of shared history as well as future prospects. The summit will enable consultations at the highest political level among the heads of government of 54 nations across Africa and the Indian government to give a new thrust to the age-old partnership.

It provides an opportunity not only to reflect on the past, but to define the road ahead in tune with the times we live in. The first India-Africa Forum Summit was held in 2008 in India. The second one was held in 2011 in Addis Ababa. The difference in this one is going to be that in order to fully reflect the way India is engaging the continent.

In the last ten years or so, India has made available soft loans in terms of Lines of Credit of more than $7 billion to its African partners. That forms nearly two-thirds of all Lines of Credit given by India in the last 10 years. Besides the loans we have set up a number of capacity-building institutions in various stages of implementation in education, agriculture and other sectors.

In terms of trade figures there has been a robust increase. In the last 10 years trade has expanded 14 times from where it was. It has today crossed $70 billion with Africa. Besides trade there is an investment from Indian entities, direct foreign investment, amounting to $32 billion. India has also emerged as an attractive destination for African students and for medical tourism.