The untapped potential of India-Africa security cooperation

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the strategic partnership between India and Africa, arguing that security cooperation remains an under-exploited pillar compared to trade and investment. It advocates for a comprehensive shared security agenda centered on the African Union to enhance mutual stability and development.

• Security cooperation is currently an under-utilized aspect of the India-Africa strategic partnership, overshadowed by the prioritization of trade, investment, and development assistance.
• India's security engagement in Africa is heavily characterized by its contributions to UN-mandated peacekeeping operations, where it is one of the largest troop-contributing countries.
• India is increasingly focusing on maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to position itself as a preferred security partner and to hedge against growing Chinese influence.
• India has provided tangible military and technical support to African nations, including training personnel at Indian institutes and helping establish defence academies in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.
• The report recommends establishing a formal monitoring mechanism within the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) framework to track commitments and ensure the partnership remains goal-oriented.
• To be effective, a future security cooperation framework should position the African Union (AU) as the primary facilitator and beneficiary, aligning with the AU's Agenda 2063 and the Africa Peace and Security Architecture (APSA).

APA

Singh, P., & Mishra, A. (2021). The untapped potential of India-Africa security cooperation. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AR-36-01.pdf

Chicago

Singh, Priyal, and Abhishek Mishra. The untapped potential of India-Africa security cooperation. Institute for Security Studies, 2021. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AR-36-01.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Singh |first1=Priyal |last2=Mishra |first2=Abhishek |title=The untapped potential of India-Africa security cooperation |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=October 2021 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AR-36-01.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{singh2021untapped, author = {Singh, Priyal and Mishra, Abhishek}, title = {{The untapped potential of India-Africa security cooperation}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AR-36-01.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }