“This is a season of renewal — a moment to reimagine what an India-Africa partnership can look like in the 21st century.” — Dr. S. Jaishankar, EAM, 23 April 2026
India will host the Fourth India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-IV) in New Delhi from 28 to 31 May 2026, co-organised with the African Union Commission. The summit marks a return of the flagship India-Africa diplomatic platform after a gap of more than a decade — the third edition was last held in October 2015. It will bring together heads of state, senior government officials, and representatives from African regional economic communities.
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar officially launched the summit’s logo, theme, and website on 23 April 2026 in New Delhi, describing the event as a strategic reset for one of India’s most important global partnerships.
📜 History of the India-Africa Forum Summit
The India-Africa Forum Summit was established in 2008 as the apex institutional mechanism for India’s engagement with Africa, covering political, security, economic, trade, developmental, cultural, and people-to-people cooperation.
Three summits have been held prior to IAFS-IV:
- IAFS-I (2008, New Delhi): India announced Lines of Credit worth approximately US$5.4 billion to African countries over five years, plus US$500 million for capacity building.
- IAFS-II (2011, Addis Ababa): The only edition held on African soil.
- IAFS-III (2015, New Delhi): Representatives from all 54 African states attended — the broadest attendance in the forum’s history.
The decade-long gap between IAFS-III and IAFS-IV has been a point of criticism, with experts flagging that the absence diluted institutional continuity at a time when rival powers were deepening their Africa engagement.
Only African Soil Summit: IAFS-II (2011) was the only summit held in Africa — in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where the African Union Commission is headquartered. All other summits (I, III, IV) have been held in New Delhi.
✨ Theme, Logo, and Programme Structure
The official theme of IAFS-IV is “IA SPIRIT: India-Africa Strategic Partnership for Innovation, Resilience, and Inclusive Transformation.” The acronym encapsulates the summit’s ambition to move beyond legacy development assistance toward a co-created, future-oriented partnership.
The logo features the lion — a symbol native to both India and Africa — set against a colour palette blending Indian and pan-African hues, symbolising the ancient geological connection between the two landmasses.
| Date | Event | Participants |
|---|---|---|
| 28 May 2026 | Senior Officials Meeting | Senior government officials |
| 29 May 2026 | India-Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting | Foreign ministers |
| 29–31 May 2026 | India-Africa Business Dialogue & Exhibition (Bharat Mandapam) | Business leaders (organised by CII with MEA) |
| 31 May 2026 | Main Summit | Heads of state and government |
Think of IAFS-IV as India’s biggest Africa reunion in over a decade — like reconnecting with a close friend you haven’t spoken to in years, except this time you come with a clear plan: digital tech, clean energy, trade deals, and a promise to stay in touch more regularly.
🌍 Key Areas of Cooperation
The summit agenda covers a broad convergence of priorities drawn from India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision and Africa’s Agenda 2063 development blueprint. Six major pillars define the cooperation roadmap:
- Digital and Technology: India’s expertise in UPI, Aadhaar-like identity systems, e-governance platforms, AI, fintech, and cybersecurity is a key differentiator for the partnership.
- Trade and Investment: India is Africa’s fourth-largest trading partner. Bilateral trade stood at US$82 billion in 2024-25; cumulative Indian investment reached approximately US$80 billion between 1996 and 2025.
- Agriculture and Food Security: Cooperation in climate-resilient farming, nano-fertilisers, millets, and organic agriculture, building on India’s G20 millet push.
- Defence and Maritime Security: ~5,000 Indian peacekeepers are deployed in UN missions across Africa. India’s SAGAR and MAHASAGAR frameworks guide maritime cooperation. The first AIKEYME exercise was conducted in April 2025 with 9 African navies.
- Energy and Critical Minerals: India launched the National Critical Minerals Mission in January 2025. Southern Africa holds approximately 30% of the world’s critical mineral reserves — a strategic priority for India.
- Health and Capacity Building: India has provided ~US$700 million in grant assistance, ~40,000 ITEC training slots, and ~50,000 ICCR scholarships. An IIT campus has been established in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
India’s development model for Africa emphasises capacity building, technology transfer, and institution building — rather than debt-heavy infrastructure finance. How does this “demand-driven” approach differ from China’s Belt and Road model? What are the strategic advantages and limitations of each?
| Indicator | Data |
|---|---|
| Total Bilateral Trade (2024-25) | ~US$82 billion |
| Indian Exports to Africa | ~US$42.6 billion |
| Indian Imports from Africa | ~US$39.2 billion |
| Cumulative Investment (1996–2025) | ~US$80 billion |
| India’s Rank as Africa’s Trading Partner | 4th largest |
| China’s Trade with Africa | Over US$280 billion |
📌 India’s Expanding Diplomatic Footprint in Africa
Since the 2015 summit, India has substantially expanded its diplomatic presence in Africa. From 29 resident missions, India now operates 46 missions on the continent — an addition of 17 new embassies since 2018.
India has extended more than 190 Lines of Credit (LoCs) totalling over US$10 billion to 41 African countries, covering projects in power, water supply, agriculture, transport, rural electrification, and digital connectivity. Of these, 220 projects worth US$4.5 billion have been successfully completed.
India’s Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) Scheme provides duty-free access on 98.2% of India’s tariff lines for Least Developed Countries in Africa.
Don’t confuse numbers: India has extended 190+ Lines of Credit worth US$10 billion+ to 41 countries. But only 220 projects worth US$4.5 billion have been completed. These are different figures — the LoC total is the commitment; US$4.5B is what has been delivered so far.
⚖️ India’s Africa Strategy in a Competitive Geopolitical Context
India’s engagement with Africa does not occur in a vacuum. China’s trade with Africa exceeds US$280 billion and dominates ports, railways, mining, and defence sectors. Western donors are recalibrating development finance models amid political shifts at home.
India differentiates its partnership through a demand-driven, results-oriented approach — prioritising capacity building, affordable technology, and institution building guided by African priorities. India also leveraged multilateral platforms strategically: during its G20 presidency in 2023, India successfully championed the permanent membership of the African Union in the G20 — a landmark diplomatic act that elevated India’s standing ahead of IAFS-IV.
The AU’s entry into G20 under India’s presidency is a powerful example of India using multilateral forums to build Global South solidarity. How does this compare with China’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) model? Discuss how IAFS-IV fits into India’s broader Neighbourhood First and South-South Cooperation strategies.
🌍 Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the African Union
Agenda 2063 is the African Union’s long-term continental development framework, adopted in 2013. It articulates Africa’s aspirations for inclusive and sustainable development over five decades, with goals including a unified Africa, integrated economies, good governance, and a strong cultural identity.
The African Union comprises 55 member states and its executive body is the African Union Commission, headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. IAFS-IV is being co-organised with the African Union Commission, aligning India’s development cooperation directly with the AU’s continental priorities.
| Aspect | India — Viksit Bharat 2047 | Africa — Agenda 2063 |
|---|---|---|
| Target Year | 2047 (centenary of independence) | 2063 (centenary of OAU founding) |
| Core Vision | Developed nation status; inclusive growth | Integrated, peaceful, prosperous Africa |
| Key Priority | Technology, manufacturing, green energy | Integrated economies, AfCFTA, infrastructure |
| Governance Goal | Digital governance, ease of doing business | Good governance, democratic institutions |
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IAFS-IV is scheduled from 28 to 31 May 2026 in New Delhi, co-organised with the African Union Commission.
IAFS-II (2011) was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — the only edition hosted on African soil. All other summits were in New Delhi.
India is Africa’s 4th largest trading partner. Bilateral trade stood at approximately US$82 billion in 2024-25.
India secured the African Union’s permanent G20 membership during its 2023 G20 presidency — a key diplomatic achievement cited by EAM Jaishankar.
The official theme is IA SPIRIT: India-Africa Strategic Partnership for Innovation, Resilience, and Inclusive Transformation.
