India-Africa and Central Asia Relations Notes for UPSC

India's foreign policy is not limited to the big powers and the neighbours. Africa and Central Asia are two regions where India has old cultural links and new strategic interests: energy and minerals, markets, security, connectivity and the support of the developing world. Both regions are also places of competition with China. The UPSC asks about the India-Africa Forum Summits, the Connect Central Asia policy, the connectivity projects such as the INSTC and the TAPI pipeline in the Prelims, and about the challenges and opportunities of these relations in the Mains. This note explains both relationships in simple language, with tables and a Mains structure.

India and Africa: The Historical Base

India and Africa have been connected through the Indian Ocean trade for centuries, and a large Indian community settled in East and South Africa. Mahatma Gandhi began his satyagraha in South Africa between 1893 and 1914. After Independence, India strongly supported the decolonisation of Africa through the Non-Aligned Movement and the United Nations, and was the first country to raise the issue of apartheid at the UN and to impose trade sanctions on South Africa. The people-to-people ties continue through about three million people of Indian origin in Africa, the students and the Indian doctors and teachers in many African countries.

Institutions of India-Africa Cooperation

Economic and Strategic Interests in Africa

• Trade and investment: India is among the top trading partners of Africa, with the bilateral trade about 100 billion US dollars. Indian companies invest in telecom, pharmaceuticals, energy, agriculture and banking.
• Energy and resources: India imports crude oil from Nigeria and Angola, and gold, coal, pulses and minerals from other countries, including the pulses from Mozambique and Tanzania.
• Health and pharmaceuticals: India is a major supplier of low-cost generic medicines and vaccines, as in the HIV drugs and the vaccines under the Vaccine Maitri programme.
• Security and maritime: The Indian Navy does anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden, and India takes part in UN peacekeeping missions in Africa and holds the Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX).
• Multilateral: India supports the African Union (AU), which became a permanent member of the G20 at the New Delhi summit in 2023, on India's initiative. India also backs the demand for the permanent representation of Africa in a reformed UN Security Council.

The AU's long-term plan, Agenda 2063, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) of 2021 create a large single market of about 1.3 billion people, which gives India new opportunities for trade and investment.

Challenges in Africa

China is a bigger trader and lender in Africa through the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. India's projects often face delays, its trade is concentrated in a few countries, and the security situation in some countries, such as the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, is a risk. India must also deal with the concerns on debt, and so it follows the model of demand-driven, transparent and development-focused partnerships, with local skills and jobs.

India and Central Asia

Central Asia consists of five countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The region is India's "extended neighbourhood", with ancient links through the Silk Route, Buddhism (the Gandhara and Kushan heritage) and the Mughal founder Babur, who came from Fergana in present-day Uzbekistan. After the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, India established ties with the new republics.

Interests and Projects in Central Asia

• Energy and minerals: Kazakhstan is a leading uranium producer and supplies it to India; Turkmenistan has large natural gas reserves. The TAPI pipeline (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) is a proposed gas pipeline of about 1,800 km, delayed because of security concerns.
• Connectivity: The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the Chabahar port in Iran give India a route to the region that avoids Pakistan. India has no direct land border with Central Asia, which is the main obstacle.
• Security: Common concerns on terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and the situation in Afghanistan. India has cooperation with Tajikistan, where it has had a presence at Farkhor and Ayni.
• Education and health: Many Indian students study medicine in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan; India has offered lines of credit and developed IT centres in the region.

Challenges in Central Asia

The trade between India and the region is small, about two billion US dollars, because of the lack of direct access and limited connectivity. China is much more active through the Belt and Road projects, the pipelines and the SCO. Russia still has a strong influence. The instability in Afghanistan and the transit limitations through Pakistan create problems. The way forward is to speed up the INSTC and Chabahar, expand the use of digital payments and fintech, increase the flights and visas, and strengthen cooperation in pharmaceuticals, IT, agriculture and renewable energy.

Soft Power and Development Partnership

India's approach to both regions is based on the idea of a development partnership, not on conditions. It gives scholarships under the ITEC and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, builds institutions such as the India-Africa centres of excellence and the IT centres in Central Asia, and shares its experience with digital public goods like UPI and the vaccine platform CoWIN. Indian culture also has a wide appeal: Bollywood films are popular in Central Asia and Africa, yoga is practised widely, and the Indian diaspora in East and South Africa keeps the links alive. In times of crisis, India has sent humanitarian aid, such as medicines during the COVID-19 pandemic and relief after cyclones in southern Africa. This builds goodwill, which is an important asset in the competition for influence.

Mains Angle: Why Do Africa and Central Asia Matter for India?

You can answer in four steps. Africa gives resources, a large market, diplomatic support in the multilateral bodies and a partner in South-South cooperation; Central Asia gives energy, minerals, a strategic position and a link to Eurasia. Both are areas where India competes with China, so its engagement must be transparent, development-oriented and respectful of the sovereignty of the partners. India's soft power, the capacity-building programmes and the digital public infrastructure (like UPI) are important tools. Conclude that sustained high-level contact, faster project delivery and a clearer financing model are needed.

Role of the Indian Diaspora

The Indian diaspora is a bridge between India and these regions. In East and South Africa, the Indian-origin community runs businesses and professions and supports the economic ties. In Central Asia, the community is small, but the Indian students and professionals are growing in number. The government engages them through the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and the cultural centres.

Memory Tip

For Africa, remember "ITEC, IAFS, Kampala, AU" in the order of time and idea: training, summits, principles and the G20 seat. For Central Asia, remember "C-C-A-S-I-T": Connect Central Asia, Summit, INSTC and TAPI. Revise one project of each region with its aim and its problem.

Practice Questions

• Q1. In which year did India host the third IAFS with all the African countries? Answer: 2015.
• Q2. Which policy of 2012 deals with Central Asia? Answer: Connect Central Asia.
• Q3. Which pipeline connects Turkmenistan with India? Answer: TAPI.
• Q4. Which grouping became a permanent G20 member in 2023 at India's initiative? Answer: The African Union.

Read it along with our notes on India-Russia relations and India and West Asia.

Quick Revision

• Africa: ITEC 1964; IAFS 2008, 2011, 2015; Kampala Principles 2018; AU in G20 in 2023.
• Central Asia: five countries; Connect Central Asia 2012; first summit 2022; SCO 2017.
• INSTC, Chabahar, TAPI, Ashgabat Agreement.
• Competition with China in both regions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the India-Africa Forum Summit?

It is the summit of India and African countries held in 2008, 2011 and 2015 to strengthen cooperation in trade, aid and capacity building.

What is the ITEC programme?

The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation programme, started in 1964, offers training and technical help to developing countries.

What are the Kampala Principles?

They are the ten principles of India's engagement with Africa announced in Uganda in 2018.

Which grouping became a permanent member of the G20 in 2023?

The African Union became a permanent member of the G20 at the New Delhi summit.

What is the Pan-African e-Network?

It is the project of tele-education and tele-medicine links between India and African countries, started in 2009.

What is the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor?

It is the India-Japan vision of quality infrastructure and connectivity between Asia and Africa.

Which countries make up Central Asia?

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan make up Central Asia.

What is the Connect Central Asia policy?

It is India's 2012 policy to deepen political, economic, security and cultural ties with the region.

What is the TAPI pipeline?

It is a proposed natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan to India.

Why is Chabahar port important for Central Asia?

It gives India a sea route through Iran to Afghanistan and Central Asia that avoids Pakistan.

When did India join the SCO?

India became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in 2017.

Why is trade with Central Asia low?

India has no direct land access to the region, and the connectivity routes are limited and still being developed.