ISAS Insights

The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s six-day tour of Africa (23 through 28 May 2011) demonstrated India’s desire to forge closer ties with the continent and be an active participant in its growth and developmental process. A number of agreements were signed during the second India-Africa Forum Summit (24 and 25 May 2011) and bilateral meetings with Ethiopia (25 and 26 May 2011) and Tanzania (26 through 28 May 2011) ranging from trade and education to development assistance. The renewed vigour of India’s engagement comes in a landscape of a deepened Chinese presence in Africa. This paper analyses the achievements of the Summit and Prime Minister’s bilateral visits to Africa. The paper also explores India’s development cooperation with the continent in this background.