Indian Foreign Policy and Africa: Continuity and Change

The document examines the shift in India's Africa policy from Cold War-era support for anti-colonial and anti-apartheid struggles to a modern approach centered on economic diplomacy and energy security. While India seeks to secure crude oil and LNG to fuel its projected economic growth, the author argues that its engagement remains 'development friendly' and 'Third Worldist,' evidenced by diversified trade, capacity-building initiatives, and multilateral cooperation through forums like IBSA.

• India's foreign policy toward Africa has transitioned from a primary focus on supporting national liberation movements and anti-apartheid struggles during the Cold War to a strategy of economic diplomacy in the post-cold war era.
• Energy security is a central pillar of India's current pragmatic diplomacy due to projected economic growth of 8 to 10 percent over the next two decades and a lack of domestic petroleum resources, leading India to expect to be the largest energy consumer after the US and China by 2030.
• India's engagement with Africa is not solely driven by energy interests; trade has diversified significantly, growing from approximately $1 billion in 1990-1991 to $36 billion in 2008-09, with ores and metals making up 61% of African exports to India.
• India employs a 'soft approach' to capacity building and development in Africa, including providing nearly $2 billion in lines of credit and training over 100 officials annually from Sub Saharan Africa via the ITEC programme.
• India utilizes trilateral and multilateral partnerships, such as the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum established in June 2003, to enhance South-South cooperation and gain strategic legitimacy for a seat on the UN Security Council.

APA

Beri, R. (n.d.). Indian Foreign Policy and Africa: Continuity and Change. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/saiia_conf_indian_foreign_policy_and_africa_saiia_ruchitaberi_20101005.pdf

Chicago

Beri, Ruchita. Indian Foreign Policy and Africa: Continuity and Change. South African Institute of International Affairs, n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/saiia_conf_indian_foreign_policy_and_africa_saiia_ruchitaberi_20101005.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Beri |first1=Ruchita |title=Indian Foreign Policy and Africa: Continuity and Change |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/saiia_conf_indian_foreign_policy_and_africa_saiia_ruchitaberi_20101005.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{berindindian, author = {Beri, Ruchita}, title = {{Indian Foreign Policy and Africa: Continuity and Change}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/saiia_conf_indian_foreign_policy_and_africa_saiia_ruchitaberi_20101005.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }