External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar stressed the need to ensure that the aspirations and interests of the Global South are fully represented on the global stage. In his address at the Japan-India-Africa Business Forum virtually, Dr Jaishankar said India has consistently championed this cause, whether through the Voice of the Global South Summits or its G20 Presidency. He emphasised that India’s approach to Africa has always been guided by a deep-rooted commitment to building long-term and mutually beneficial partnerships. He pointed out that, unlike extractive models of engagement, India believes in capacity-building, skill development, and technology transfer, ensuring that African countries not only benefit from investments but also develop self-sustaining growth ecosystems.
The External Affairs Minister said that India is Africa’s fourth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching nearly 100 billion dollars. He added that India has also made a significant commitment to Africa’s connectivity and infrastructure development, with over 12 billion dollars in concessional credit and more than 200 completed projects spread across the continent. He stated that India’s development projects in various sectors such as drinking water schemes to irrigation, rural solar electrification, and power plants have generated local employment and changed life in Africa.
