India–Africa Partnership Key to Peace, Sustainability and Inclusive Growth: Kirti Vardhan Singh

May 20, 2026

New Delhi: The Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) commemorated Africa Day with a Conference on ‘Africa-India Partnership: Towards A Common Future’ on 20 May 2026, in the run up to the Fourth India–Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-4) scheduled to be held on 28-31 May 2026.

Welcoming Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State for External Affairs; HE Mr Mohamed Maliki, Dean of the African and Arab Diplomatic Corps in New Delhi; and other distinguished participants, Director General MP-IDSA, Amb Sujan R. Chinoy in his Welcome Address, highlighted the deep historical ties between India and Africa, rooted in centuries of maritime trade, the contributions of the Indian diaspora in Africa, and a shared struggle against colonialism and apartheid. Recalling Mahatma Gandhi’s formative experience in Africa, Amb Chinoy emphasised that India-Africa relations are founded on solidarity, mutual respect, and a common vision for justice, development, and prosperity.

Amb Chinoy underscored the significance of the African Union’s inclusion in the G20 during India’s Presidency in 2023, describing it as a milestone that reflects the strength and enduring nature of India-Africa relations. He also stressed upon the importance of enhanced cooperation among Global South nations in addressing contemporary challenges such as climate change, food and energy security, natural disasters, and the transformative impact of artificial intelligence. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for inclusive, transparent, and trustworthy AI, as well as India’s MAHASAGAR initiative aimed at promoting mutual and holistic regional security, he expressed confidence that the forthcoming India-Africa Forum Summit would further strengthen bilateral cooperation before the Global South and contribute towards peace, stability, and sustainable development.

Highlighting MP-IDSA’s longstanding engagement with Africa, Amb Chinoy noted that the Institute has consistently hosted the India-Africa Strategic Dialogue and facilitated exchanges on critical issues including maritime security, cyber security, and counter-terrorism. Under the India-Africa Security Fellowship Programme, scholars from Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia have participated in academic and strategic exchanges at the Institute, with expectations of broader collaboration in the years ahead.

In his Inaugural Address, Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State for External Affairs, underscored the importance of strengthening India–Africa ties based on shared aspirations for development, security, and prosperity. Referring to the theme of the Fourth India–Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-4), ‘IA Spirit — India-Africa Strategic Partnership for Innovation, Resilience, and Inclusive Transformation’, he highlighted the growing strategic significance of the partnership in promoting peace, sustainability, and inclusive growth in an evolving global order.

The Minister noted that India’s engagement with Africa has expanded across defence, maritime cooperation, development partnerships, trade, healthcare, and capacity building. He highlighted India’s contribution of over 5,000 peacekeepers to UN missions in Africa, including the deployment of the first all-female UN police unit, as well as initiatives such as the India–Africa Defence Ministers’ Conclave, AFINDEX, and the MAHASAGAR framework. He also underlined India’s support to African countries during the COVID-19 pandemic through the supply of made-in-India vaccines.

Shri Singh further emphasised cooperation in emerging sectors such as renewable energy, digital public infrastructure, education, and technology. He noted that initiatives such as India Stack, the IIT Zanzibar campus in Tanzania, and the National Forensic Sciences University campus in Uganda reflect deepening collaboration between the two sides. Reaffirming India’s support for greater African representation in global governance institutions, he expressed confidence that IAFS-4 would strengthen people-to-people ties and deliver practical, implementation-oriented outcomes for both India and Africa.

In his Special Remarks, H.E. Mr Mohamed Maliki, Dean of the African and Arab Diplomatic Corps in New Delhi, highlighted the enduring relevance of South–South cooperation as the foundation of India–Africa relations, rooted in solidarity, mutual respect, shared anti-colonial experiences, and a common aspiration for equitable global development. Reflecting on the evolution of the India–Africa Forum Summit process, he noted that while the first two summits laid the groundwork for institutional engagement, the Third India–Africa Forum Summit in 2015 marked a transformational moment with the participation of all 54 African Union member states and the adoption of the Delhi Declaration and Framework for Strategic Cooperation.

H.E. Mr Maliki emphasised the need for the India–Africa partnership to move beyond traditional capacity-building towards deeper technology transfer, industrial cooperation, and co-development initiatives. He underlined the importance of more flexible and sustainable financing models, greater inclusivity in summit processes, and stronger collaboration in areas such as manufacturing, digital governance, renewable energy, and research. Stressing that Africa should be viewed as an equal strategic partner rather than merely a recipient of aid, he called for future engagement to be guided by the principles of co-creation, mutual benefit, shared ownership, and collective efforts to reform global governance institutions in line with the aspirations of the Global South.

The event brought together policymakers, diplomats, scholars, and experts to deliberate on the evolving strategic partnership between India and Africa and explore avenues for deeper cooperation in an increasingly complex global environment.