ndia’s involvement in Africa goes much beyond simply sourcing crude oil or other natural resources from Africa. According to Rajrishi Singhal, senior geo-economics fellow at Gateway House, Mumbai, there are broadly four layers to India’s engagement with Africa. First, there is the Indian government’s involvement in the oil and gas sector in a few countries like Mozambique and Sudan. Second, a number of Indian private sector companies like Jindal Africa and Vedanta have invested in extractive sectors like mining. Third, a host of Indian private sector companies have invested in a wide range of industries like solar panels and sugar mills in Africa, often aimed at meeting local demand. Often, the investment by private Indian companies is aided by some government support.
Lastly, the fourth layer of India’s engagement with Africa is the Indian government’s investments in the continent to aid capacity building, through the Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) under the Ministry of External Affairs.