54 AU PARTNERSHIPS
India is the world’s fifth largest consumer of oil, and will rise to third place by 2030. Uranium mining, essential to power India’s nuclear energy sector, is another area that has elicited great interest from Indian companies
trade would grow to $150 billion by 2012. India’s trade with Africa is now touching $50 billion, and a vast potential remains to be tapped. However, the Indian government
has done much to differentiate itself from China in Africa. India has been careful to distinguish its model of cooperation as being based on much more than mere natural-resource exploitation. It has embarked on a policy to balance its need for accessing strategic energy resources from the African continent with Africa’s aspirations for greater skills and sustainable development. The first India-Africa Forum
Summit, in April 2008, raised the profile of cooperation with Africa significantly and was pivotal. Under the lines of credit offered here, India specifically looked at promoting regional integration through infrastructure development. However, this meeting did not match the spectacle of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit, held in Beijing in 2006. During the Second Africa-India
Forum Summit, held on May 24-25 2011, Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister, suggested the creation of an India-Africa Business Council that would bring together chief executive officers of major corporations from both sides. On the same occasion, Singh pledged to offer $5 billion for the next three years,
INVEST IN AFRICA 2011
under lines of credit, to help Africa achieve its development goals. India will also offer an additional
$700 million to establish institutions and training programs, in consultation with the African Union (AU) and its institutions. Backing African solutions for African problems, Singh also pledged $2 million for the AU Mission in Somalia. In view of the forthcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly that is expected to focus on UN reforms, he also made a strong pitch for the reform of global political and economic institutions, including the UN Security Council, for which India needs Africa’s support. “The current international economic and political system is far from easy, particularly for developing countries. The world faces new challenges in assuring food and energy security,” he said.
Cooperation on policy At the political level, India has also sought to engage and work with regional bodies in Africa, supporting the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) via its Pan-Africa e-network, and recently agreeing a plan of action with the AU on most of the issues addressed in the 2008 framework document signed in Delhi. New Delhi is also helping Africa
to bridge the digital divide. It is investing heavily in making an
e-medicine system available on the continent, with online consultation supported by the Indian government.
Need for energy resources Despite the importance of cooperation on development for India, it is a by-product of its engagement in Africa rather than a central driving force. Mining and hydrocarbons are key drivers – India is the world’s fifth largest consumer of oil, and will rise to third place by 2030. The gateway for India’s energy quest in Africa has turned out to be Sudan. India’s trade with the country began almost 5,000 years ago, through Mesopotamia. Sudan has been crucial in accessing oil from the continent. New Delhi’s close relationships helped to assuage the initial hiccups, but conflict between the Sudanese government and that of South Sudan has created some problems. Uranium mining, essential to power India’s nuclear energy sector, is another area that has elicited great interest from Indian companies. Furthermore, the Indian Ocean is a
vital arena for commercial trade, and securing maritime trading routes is essential for safeguarding India’s energy supply lines. India is increasingly concerned about not losing ground to potential power rivals such as China on the continent, but equally importantly in ‘its ocean’, where China has already made some progress in establishing bases.
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