India and Africa

As the third largest contributor of personnel to the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO), India’s significant participation in the conflict-containment and reconstruction process is acknowledged in Africa.

Indo-Africa Policy Initiatives:- 

Some of the policy initiatives taken by India to strengthen the Indo-Africa relationship are as follows-

• Focus Africa Program
• Team 9 Initiative 
• India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS)

Focus Africa Program:-

• "Focus Africa" Program was initially launched in 2002 
• The focus was on seven countries of Sub-Saharan African (SSA) Region, viz., South Africa, Nigeria, Mauritius, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana and Ethiopia. In 2003 more countries like include Angola, Botswana, Ivory-Coast, Madagascar, Mozambique, Senegal, Seychelles, Uganda, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe, along-with the six countries of North Africa, viz., Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Sudan, Morocco and Algeria were included.
• Under this Program, Government extends assistance to exporters and Export Promotion Councils etc. to undertake visits to countries in Africa to organize/participate in trade fairs and exhibitions, hold B-2-B meetings etc. 
• African trade delegations are also sponsored to visit India. These export promotion activities are conducted by various Export Promotion Councils and Apex Chambers with grant under Market Development Assistance (MDA) and Market Access Initiative (MAI) Scheme.

Team 9 Initiative :-

• Started in 2004
• Stands for Techno-Economic Approach for Africa–India Movement (TEAM–9)
• Aim is to expand the economic reach of India with eight energy- and resource-rich West African countries viz. Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote D’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Senegal
• The initiative was part of a broader policy to engage the underdeveloped, yet resource-wealthy countries of West Africa which required both low-cost technology and investment to develop their infrastructure. 
• In particular, India increasingly wants to play an important role in helping Ivory Coast and other West African countries channel their energy resources more efficiently

India Africa Forum Summit :-

• Started in Year 2008
• Summit level relationship
• has provided  an institutional  framework for  cooperation at continental, regional and bilateral levels.
• As a consequence, political  understanding, security  cooperation, trade and investment collaboration, energy partnership, development   partnership, and diaspora  linkages between both regions have been enhanced.