Hot Off The Press: Navigating India-Africa Relations

Image: Flickr, Patrik M. Loeff
Image: Flickr, Patrik M. Loeff

The South African Institute of International Affairs has released a host of new Occasional Papers highlighting various emerging policy issues and areas of engagement between the African continent and India.

As the world’s energy needs and sources are changing, major emerging economies such as India are looking to Africa to deliver alternate energy sources.  This is all the more critical as India’s Integrated Energy Policy estimates that it has to sustain a growth rate of between 8% and 10% over the next 25 years to meet its human development goals and eradicate poverty. SAIIA’s latest research interrogates whether it is possible for India and Africa to arrive at a sustainable energy partnership against this background.

Beyond energy, Africa is also of strategic importance to India in the area of defence and security. India’s support in peacekeeping operations in Africa and its need to protect its own position in the Indian Ocean Rim, illustrates the advantages for both in security and maritime co-operation.  But while the Indian Ocean generally sees increased activity in the energy security and maritime trade, Africa seems to be losing its zone of influence and lagging behind in maritime advancement.

SAIIA’s four new occasional papers provides contextual background to relations between India and Africa, an understanding of the complex geopolitical positioning in the Indian Ocean, and unpacks the strengths and weaknesses in relations between the two in the energy arena.

Download these papers:

Occasional Paper No 75:

India and Africa: Towards a Sustainable Energy Partnership

By Shebonti Ray Dadwal

Occasional Paper No 76:

Evolving India-Africa Relations: Continuity and Change

By Ruchita Beri

Occasional Paper No 77:

Before and Beyond Energy: Contextualising the India-Africa Partnership

By Devika Sharma & Swati Ganeshan

Occasional Paper No 78:

Africa and the Geopolitics of the Indian Ocean

By Frank Van Rooyen

8 Mar 2011