(in the pic - Chinese President Xi Jinping addressing FOCAC summit). President Jacob Zuma co-chairs the FOCAC Summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping - Sandton, Johannesburg. 04/12/2015, Elmond Jiyane, GCIS Courtesy: GovernmentZA/ Flickr
26 April 2018

The race to be Africa’s best partner

China’s judicious deployment of economic diplomacy—in sectors ranging from infrastructure and agriculture to skill development--has enabled it to develop relations with several African countries. India, Africa’s oldest partner, which is diversifying its own relationship, can replicate parts of China’s approach

india africa Courtesy: Exim Bank of India
12 April 2018

An economic agenda for India-Africa ties

The India-Africa economic partnership lags some way behind the diplomatic reciprocity the two countries share. Africa has had a trade surplus with India in the past decade, but increasing two-way trade of goods and services across sectors calls for serious promotional measures and removal of non-tariff barriers. The government, Indian business and their African partners need to devise an action plan that can take trade to $100 billion and investment to $75 billion by 2022

39914965062_18c96dc343_b Courtesy: Paul Kagame/ Flickr
27 February 2018

A game-changer in Africa?

The African Union stands at a crossroads in its history. It needs to change direction to be relevant and show its members the path to prosperity. With Rwandan president Paul Kagame now at the helm, it may have a chance

37019468915_3c74a9c724_o Courtesy: Government of South Africa/ Flickr
25 January 2018

South Africa leads BRICS, IORA in 2018

Internal political constraints dog it currently, but if overcome, South Africa can be a good chairman to BRICS and IORA in 2018. It also has a tough balancing act to perform between two great Asian powers, China and India

_MG_8960 Courtesy: Western Naval Command
28 September 2017

China in IOR: ‘peaceful rise’ no more

China has expanded its presence in the Indian Ocean Region. President Xi Jinping has abandoned Deng Xiaoping’s conciliatory posture for an aggressive, money-fuelled search for super power status

_96278695_6dce5a47-502a-4f67-95ff-17f4295e53c8 Courtesy: BBC
21 September 2017

India, Germany and Africa: the new priority

Germany and India have revealed a dual priority for Africa: creating opportunities for prosperity and promoting stability. For both, these are uncharted waters and represents a shift in the locus of global dynamism, away from an Anglo-Saxon world order to a more diverse yet potentially fissiparous one

36843552602_703ea5608f_o Courtesy: MEA/ Flickr
14 September 2017

After Xiamen, a stronger BRICS?

The ninth BRICS summit represented the victory of pragmatism over narrow nationalistic impulses. All BRICS members are likely to craft the grouping’s future script as it enters its second decade, but more crucially, the Big Three will have to show a large dose of statesmanship

BRICS_leaders_meet_on_the_sidelines_of_2016_G20_Summit_in_China (1) Courtesy: Narendra Modi/ Flickr
12 August 2017

BRICS Summit under Doklam shadow

BRICS, which has always been committed to enhancing solidarity, is now entering its second decade – even as tensions between its two most consequential members remain unresolved and member states and other emerging markets are set to serve as “the main engine” of global growth

BRICS Currency Courtesy: Gateway House
26 July 2017

A financial agenda for BRICS

The multi-polar world that BRICS nations seek is not a reality yet and the differences between them do exist. But the BRICS summit in September offers leaders an opportunity to examine a few important financial issues before they can dictate the global agenda