Africa and India: Riding the tail of the tiger?

Abstract

Focuses on Africa’s relations with India, the “other” emerging Asian power, which has thus far escaped the close scrutiny, if not criticism, that the much larger, and expanding, Chinese footprint on the continent has attracted. The competitive dynamic between New Delhi and Beijing is an important fulcrum of India’s international relations in Africa. Not surprisingly, this has contributed to a tendency, by and large, to assess India’s presence on the continent either in a comparative framework with China or within the context of its membership of the BRICS bloc (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). This chapter, though, is primarily concerned with the dynamics of the bilateral relationship between Africa and India. It begins with a brief history of Africa-India relations, followed by an in-depth analysis of present-day economic ties. Next the chapter focuses on peace and security cooperation between India and Africa, before offering some concluding reflections.