India’s Pursuit of Investment Opportunities in Africa

Abstract

India’s long-standing involvement in African affairs has only recently shifted to the pursuit of economic interests (the economic-diplomacy angle of this switch is discussed further in Chap. 5). Operating under the shadow of media frenzy over China’s decade-long economic thrust into the continent, the Indian presence has gone relatively unnoticed outside sectoral engagements in some African countries. And yet in many respects the Indian position on Africa is characterized by a diversity and depth that set it apart from other emerging (and even traditional) powers engaged in continental affairs. From global multinational Tata to hundreds of thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises, the foundational dimensions of Indian interests in Africa argue for a stronger representation in economic affairs commensurate with this broad-based position.