Ever since the phrase ‘Global South’ entered India’s diplomatic lexicon during its G20 presidency in 2022-23, Africa seems to have received somewhat diminished attention. This is ironic, given that Africa is seen as the heart of the Global South, and a major achievement of India’s G20 presidency was to deliver to the African Union (AU) full membership of the G20. And India has been struggling to host the fourth India–Africa Forum Summit for a decade, and the one planned for May 2026 had to be postponed on the eve of the meeting due to the outbreak of Ebola.
In this specific backdrop, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to three African countries – Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Ethiopia – from October 6 to 10 was an important step in imparting fresh momentum to bilateral relations with these countries, and also to draw public attention to the imperative of continuing the multi-dimensional partnership between India and Africa. The choice of these three nations revealed a careful deliberation on New Delhi’s part: two cities in West Africa, one Anglophone and the other Francophone, and the third one located in Eastern Africa, which is often dubbed ‘Africa’s capital’.
With the rising influence of India on the world stage, its foreign minister is now given, almost as a matter of routine, a call on the country’s Head of Government. This is as true of President Putin and President Zelenskyy as of the presidents of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as the prime minister of Ethiopia. Of course, substantive discussions took place at the level of Jaishankar’s counterparts, namely, foreign ministers and other ministers concerned.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made state visits to Ghana and Ethiopia last year. Jaishankar was thus seen engaging in follow-up dialogue to push forward bilateral cooperation. His visit to Côte d’Ivoire showed that India’s engagement with Francophone Africa remains strong. His interaction with the country’s alumni of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme reflected the importance that training and capacity-building measures constitute in India’s strategy in the region. The visits to Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire were the first by Jaishankar as Foreign Minister of India.
In Ghana, the focus was on bilateral cooperation, but larger regional and global issues too came up for detailed discussion. Defence cooperation and development partnership formed important pillars of the relationship, and an emphasis has been put on enhancing trade and investment components. There is broad policy convergence: India’s appreciation of Ghana’s leadership on reparatory justice and restitution of its own cultural properties, including at the UN, was complemented by Ghana’s admiration for India’s contribution to securing permanent membership to the AU in the G20. The developments in West Africa, ECOWAS, the AU, UN reform, and cooperation for the Global South were on the agenda. Ghana is keen to join BRICS, which it sees as a step to widen its international role. India was supportive but pointed to the requirements of the grouping’s collective process.
Côte d’Ivoire is interested too in strengthening defence and security cooperation in capacity-building with India. President Alassane Ouattara stressed the need for a strong and mutually beneficial partnership with India, and his ministers discussed in detail the full range of issues relating to trade and investment, agriculture, healthcare, digital technology, energy, and education. At the interaction with ITEC alumni, Jaishankar articulated India’s determination to continue widening the reach of capacity development initiatives.
Ethiopia was the last and perhaps the most important stop. Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed Ali visited India just a month ago, in September 2026, during the BRICS Summit. The bilateral has been upgraded to a Strategic Partnership, carrying with it a full-spectrum dialogue on bilateral, regional and global issues and potential cooperation in health, education, skill development, defence, mining, artificial intelligence, and digital public infrastructure. Given the persistent conflicts within the country, the announcement by Jaishankar to organise a second[1] Jaipur Artificial Limb Fitment Camp in the country was welcomed.
While in Ethiopia, which is also the headquarters of the AU, Jaishankar hosted a meeting for the Indian Heads of Mission stationed in Africa. In a very special gesture, the Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed hosted a dinner to welcome the Indian ambassadors who came from different parts of Africa.
Equally significant is the substantive speech on India-Africa relations given by Jaishankar at the Adwa Victory Museum in Addis Ababa. He traced the history of this important relationship from the pre-colonial times, but said that realistically, it was time to move into the future: “It is no longer sufficient to describe India and Africa through the vocabulary of historical solidarity… history has given us trust; the future requires ambition.”
Ambition and acceleration are the keys to revving up the India-Africa partnership. India is Africa’s fourth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade at $100 billion in 2025,[2] 220 projects of $4.5 billion executed,[3] and 70,000 African students, professionals and officials trained in the past decade.[4] Compared with Africa’s $348 billion bilateral trade with China in 2025,[5] and China being the single largest financier in infrastructure projects such as ports, power plants and railways built in Africa,[6] and the 20,000 African officials trained by China every year,[7] it is small. Luckily, India is willing to do more. Referring to the essential inequity of international order, Jaishankar noted how “Africa and the Global South are being directly impacted by conflicts, far-away conflicts in which they have no say.” The joint agenda for India and Africa, he said, “is to make global governance more democratic, more responsive and more represented.”
A disappointment of the trip was the missed meeting between Jaishankar and the chairperson of the AU Commission. This is regrettable. To finalise the dates of the fourth India-Africa Forum Summit in 2027, the cooperation of the AU Commission is essential. Thankfully, discussions are under way at the official and diplomatic levels.
Overall, then, the Jaishankar visit was a productive success. India’s diplomatic outreach and success will be noted in other parts of Africa, including in a country such as Kenya, which has enjoyed highly cooperative ties with India in the past but is now sadly taking a somewhat different path.
Rajiv Bhatia is the Distinguished Fellow for Foreign Policy Studies and a former diplomat who served as the High Commissioner to Kenya, South Africa and Lesotho.
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[1] The last camp was in the Afar region of Ethiopia in 2024
[2] India Is Africa’s 4th-Largest Trading Partner, Bilateral Trade Nears 100 Billion Dollar: EAM Jaishankar.” Akashvani News, February 26, 2025. https://newsonair.gov.in/india-is-africas-4th-largest-trading-partner-bilateral-trade-nears-100-billion-dollar-eam-jaishankar/
[3] Jaishankar, S. “Address by EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar at Adwa Memorial Museum, Ethiopia, on India–Africa Partnership.” Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. https://www.mea.gov.in/speeches-statements?dtl/41864/Address_by_EAM_Dr_S_Jaishankar_at_Adwa_Memorial_Museum_Ethiopia_on_India__Africa_Partnership
[4] Jaishankar, S. “Address by EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar at Adwa Memorial Museum, Ethiopia, on India–Africa Partnership.” Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. https://www.mea.gov.in/speeches-statements?dtl/41864/Address_by_EAM_Dr_S_Jaishankar_at_Adwa_Memorial_Museum_Ethiopia_on_India__Africa_Partnership
[5] China Implements Historic Zero Tariffs for All African Nations with Diplomatic Ties.” The State Council of the People’s Republic of China, May 1, 2026. https://english.www.gov.cn/policies/policywatch/202605/01/content_WS69f45e35c6d00ca5f9a0ac01.html
[6] Jean-Pierre Labuschagne and Hannah Marais, “If You Want to Prosper, Consider Building Roads: China’s Role in African Infrastructure and Capital Projects,” Deloitte Insights, March 21, 2019. https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/insights/industry/government-public-sector-services/china-investment-africa-infrastructure-development.html
[7] Alemu, Dawit, and Henry Tugendhat. “Changes in China’s Training Courses for African Officials.” Institute of Development Studies. https://www.ids.ac.uk/opinions/changes-in-chinas-training-courses-for-african-officials/