India’s approach to Africa gives it the edge over rivals

Africa is undoubtedly undergoing a transformative phase, with the continent witnessing shifts in foreign influence, alliances and partnerships. Notably, there has been a clear retreat from and pushback against countries with historical ties, such as France and the UK, coinciding with China’s decades-long impactful economic relations. More recently, the US has been seeking a refocused and more substantial presence in Africa, especially in response to Russian-sponsored forces making advances and China’s growing foothold. Yet, amid the China-West competition, a potential silent actor emerges: India.

It is interesting to notice that India’s growing focus comes at a time when China has been scaling back on loans to African countries, which is one of Beijing’s main toolkits in its relations with the continent. According to an International Monetary Fund report published in November, the recent slowdown in China’s economic growth will have substantial implications for sub-Saharan Africa. A 1 percentage-point decline in China’s growth rate could result in a 0.25 percentage-point reduction in average economic growth in the African region within a year. China’s economic deceleration has led to a significant drop in its sovereign lending to sub-Saharan Africa and Africa as a whole.

In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, Chinese lending fell below $1 billion last year — the lowest level in nearly two decades. This decline is particularly noticeable in terms of big-ticket infrastructure financing, as some African nations grapple with escalating public debt. Chinese official loan commitments and disbursements to the region have also reached a near-two-decade low, decreasing precipitously from 1.7 percent of the region’s gross domestic product in 2016 to just 4 percent of that amount in 2021. While China remains the largest official bilateral lender to this zone, the share of debt owed to China — which makes up about 6 percent of the region’s overall public debt — is concentrated in five countries: Angola, Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia.

Modi has positioned India as a fraternal partner, marking it out compared to all other actors. 

Khaled Abou Zahr

India’s focus on Africa became very clear during last year’s G20 Summit. At the opening of the summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored the significance of India’s relationship with Africa by proposing the permanent membership of the African Union in the G20. Emphasizing inclusiveness and global progress, Modi declared that this decision marked a substantial stride toward fostering a more inclusive global dialogue, asserting that collaborative efforts would not only benefit their respective continents but the entire world. This statement was very symbolic, as Africans have been looking at foreign influences from both West and East as being extractive. Hence, Modi has positioned India as a fraternal partner, marking it out compared to all other actors.

So, is India’s approach to Africa different, more transparent and more sustainable than all other actors? And why is it becoming a preferred partner for many African countries? On that note, most observers will state that India’s offering is more focused on the private sector than governments. Even though its operations are on a much smaller scale than China and other actors, India’s vibrant private sector in technology and healthcare provides a strong symbolic promise of fair and transparent relations.

There are other domains of potential collaboration, especially when it comes to financial services, where Indian startups and unicorns have achieved great strides in the inclusion of the country’s 1.4 billion population. This soft power strategy and open-minded diplomatic outlook is in fact a good blend of the Western and Chinese approaches. It takes the best of those two strategies and adds a new spin.

India, while having privileged relations with the US and the West generally, has its own strategy and objectives. 

Khaled Abou Zahr

This emerges in Modi’s declarations, which always highlight the historical bond between India and Africa, citing shared opposition to colonialism and apartheid and singling out Mahatma Gandhi’s impactful methods of nonviolence and peaceful resistance. All this serves as a way forward for the foundation of modern relations. Moreover, these declarations reflect India’s commitment to strengthening its ties with Africa and acknowledges the continent’s pivotal role in India’s broader economic and geopolitical aspirations. This comes as there have been more and more calls in Africa and the West against colonialism, which also gives a symbolic advantage to New Delhi.

There have been whispers about India being a proxy of the West in its competition with China in Africa. However, if we look at India’s aspirations and foreign policy, this narrative is invalidated. It is very clear that India, while having privileged relations with the US and the West generally, has its own strategy and objectives. India’s nuanced position regarding the Ukraine war confirms this. This does not mean that it is not competing with China, as September’s India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor route announcement revealed a direct challenge to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Yet, it is clear that India is more likely to seek to take advantage of the growing divide between the West and China rather than be a proxy for the West.

Further indication of this independent strategy was provided by the Africa-India Field Training Exercise, which took place in 2023. This multilateral exercise involved 25 African nations alongside Indian troops and was a sign of India and Africa strengthening their military ties. It was specifically aimed at building confidence and sharing security expertise, focusing on UN peacekeeping and humanitarian demining actions.

India’s new approach — as it looks to differentiate itself from the overwhelming negative opinion of African nations toward the extractive policies of most countries present in the continent — gives New Delhi a clear edge as it attempts to evolve from a leading middle power to a superpower. However, with Africa supplying a significant amount of India’s total crude oil imports and the continent being crucial for its economic growth, New Delhi’s fraternal intentions will soon be put to the test.

• Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused investment platform. He is chief executive of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.