Modi’s mission: Africa ties targeted in India’s superpower quest

India’s ties with Africa are rooted in an emotional shared history but, as India sets its sights on becoming the century’s superpower, trade, business links and the reshaping of international institutions will take centre stage in the relationship.

At the start of the recent G20 summit in New Delhi, prime minister Narendra Modi began proceedings with an announcement that reveals the importance the Indian government is placing on relationships with Africa. Declaring India’s G20 presidency “a symbol of inclusion,” Modi proclaimed that “with this sentiment of inclusiveness, Bharat [his preferred name for India] proposes that the African Union should be given permanent membership in the G20.”

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, shortly after the announcement, Modi argued that “the inclusion of the African Union in the G20 underscores its pivotal role in global progress.” He later added that the decision to make the organisation a permanent member of the G20 “is a significant stride towards a more inclusive global dialogue… collaborative efforts benefit not only our respective continents but also the entire world”.

India and Africa have enjoyed warm political relationships since the birth of India as an independent state in 1947. However, there are increasing signs that the government in New Delhi is now seeking to leverage these relations more proactively in order to advance a broad range of economic and geopolitical interests that are central to Modi’s mission to make India one of this century’s superpowers.

source : https://african.business/2023/10/trade-investment/modis-mission-africa-ties-targeted-in-indias-superpower-quest