Indian Council of World Affairs

The year 2023 marks yet another milestone in India-Africa relations, as the two sides conducted the first-ever joint Army Chiefs Conclave on 28th March, 2023. The conclave was divided into two sessions. While the first session explored the key pillars of India and Africa’s Defence Partnership, the second session focused on the Indian Defence Industry’s Outreach to Africa.[i] This conclave was held alongside the second edition of the Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX), which aimed to strengthen confidence-building and military relationships between the Armed Forces of India and Africa. The exercise was held over a period of ten days at Aundh Military Station in Pune and witnessed the active participation of several African states.[ii] The key objective of this defence exercise was to share India’s experience in managing security situations and enabling the participating African contingents to hone their tactical skills in joint operations for UN peacekeeping and humanitarian mine actions.[iii]

Defence and security are emerging as important pillars in Indo-Africa relations. Both sides have been strengthening and diversifying their defence cooperation through training and capacity building, and the military exercise AFINDEX is one such outcome of this growing partnership. Furthermore, the establishment of significant initiatives in recent years, such as the India-Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD) and the India-Africa Defence Ministers Conclave (IADMC), has further widened the scope of their military engagements.

Training & Capacity Building

India’s defence engagements with Africa date back to 1956, when India opened the first training institute in Ethiopia. Since then India has assisted various countries, like Nigeria, in setting up defence academics and providing them with instructors and training material.[iv] From the 1960s onwards, India has been providing training to cadets and officers coming from Africa. Currently, under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, India has military-to-military cooperation activities, primarily focused on training, with almost one-third of the 54 African nations.[v] Training covers various fields such as security and strategic studies, defence management, artillery, electronics, mechanical, marine, and aeronautical engineering, anti-marine warfare, logistics management, and quality assurance services.[vi] Training also extends to Coast Guards officers from Africa. India plans to increase the number of defence training positions and training teams in African countries.[vii] Emphasis is also being placed on providing training in cyber security in countering terrorism. Furthermore, India has played a key role in the UN peacekeeping operations in Africa. The Indian Army’s contributions to providing humanitarian assistance and supervising peace-making operations have been widely praised for their professional excellence.[viii]

Working together in the Maritime Domain

In recent years, India and Africa’s collaborations have been significantly growing in the maritime domain as well. The Indian Navy has emerged as a security provider in the Western Indian Ocean Region[ix], offering timely delivery of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief during emergencies. For example, when Cyclone Idai hit Mozambique in March 2019, India provided medical assistance and relief materials and immediately diverted three of its Naval ships to Mozambique for rescue operations. Similarly, during Cyclone Diane in Madagascar in 2020, the Indian Navy launched ‘Operation Vanilla’ to provide food aid and other relief material to the flood-affected population. During the COVID-19 pandemic, India effectively implemented the ‘Mission Sagar’ initiatives, through which emergency medical supplies, medical expert teams, and food aid were provided to several African countries.[x] Besides, India also offered healthcare training for COVID-19 management and protocols in Africa.[xi] Under the ‘Vaccine Maitri’ Programme, the Indian Navy supplied approximately 2.5 crore doses of domestically produced vaccine shots to African countries. Such emergencies have demonstrated India’s expertise in being the first responder during crisis in Africa.

The African east coast lies within India’s strategic maritime neighbourhood; hence, India aims for a greater maritime presence and stronger ties with the African littoral countries in order to secure the Sea Lanes of Communication.[xii] Currently, India is focused on developing friendly relations with the littoral and island states of Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Seychelles, Madagascar, and Mauritius, all of which have extensive coastlines in the Indian Ocean. Radar surveillance facilities have been set up by India in Seychelles and Mauritius, along with a listening post in Northern Madagascar, to track ship movements and ensure security in the region.[xiii] Additionally, increased naval deployments and stronger naval diplomacy have been other mediums adopted by India for fostering its maritime ties with Africa. One such recent joint naval collaboration between India and the African nations was the first edition of the India-Mozambique-Tanzania Trilateral Exercise (IMT TRILAT), which focused on increasing interoperability between the three countries.

Defence Supplies

In addition to strengthening its maritime ties with Africa, India has also contributed to enhancing the military capabilities of Africa and its army. Given the rising security challenges, there is a demand for weaponry supply in Africa, which India has supported by providing reliable and affordable military hardware. The top three African countries to import made-in-India arms between 2017 and 2022 were Seychelles, Mauritius, and Mozambique. India has exported indigenous self-defence equipment such as armoured vehicles and interceptor boats to Mozambique, which has helped boost its defence preparedness and military capabilities.[xiv] Apart from conventional arms, India has also supplied patrol craft and light helicopters to several African countries. Although India’s current arms supply to Africa accounts for about 15% of its total defence exports, there is potential for further growth, given the rising interest shown by several African countries and the growing capabilities of the Indian defence industry. Beyond defence exports, India is also committed to empowering African states to indigenously meet their military requirements by sharing expertise and knowledge in defence manufacturing, research, and development. India follows an ethical path in supplying defence material. It does not create conflicts nor does it worsen them just because of commercial interests.

Conclusion

Increased collaboration between India and Africa in the defence sector has further strengthened their relations. At present, both sides share a mutual desire to further enhance defence cooperation, which is mainly driven by common security challenges, threat perceptions, and a collective commitment to work towards the security and stability of the region.

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*Faareha Usmani, Research Intern, Indian Council of World Affairs, Sapru House, New Delhi.
Disclaimer: The views are of the author. 

Endnotes

[i] Pandey, Sahel. (2023, March 18). 25 Armies from Africa to attend maiden India-Africa Chiefs Conclave in Pune. ANI News. New Delhi. https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/25-armies-from-africa-to-attend-maiden-india-africa-chiefs-conclave-in-pune20230318000706/

[ii] Contingents from nine African countries participated in AFINDEX’23, namely, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Niger, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Eleven other countries including Congo, Egypt, Nigeria, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Cameroon and Morocco had sent observers.

[iii] Mishra, Abhishek. (2023, March 24). Boosting India-Africa defence and security partnership. Observer Research Foundation. New Delhi. https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/boosting-india-africa-defence-and-security-partnership/

[iv] Seth. V.S. (2008) India-Africa Relations: Emerging Policy and Development Perspective. Academic Excellence. Delhi.

[v] Dutta, Arvind. (2008) India-Africa Defence Cooperation: Need for Enhanced Thrust. Journal of Defence Studies. IDSA. New Delhi. https://www.idsa.in/jds/2_2_2008_IndoAfricanDefenceCooperation_ADutta  

[vi] Dubey, Ajay. (2011). “Looking west 3: Africa” in the Handbook of India’s International Relations. David Scott. Routledge International Handbooks.

[vii] Singh, Gurjit. (2022, November 10). How India and Africa are Redefining Defence Ties. New 18. New Delhi. https://www.news18.com/news/opinion/how-india-and-africa-are-redefining-defence-ties-6354085.html

[viii] Gidh, Yeshvant Vijay. (2022, March 16). India’s Role in UN Peacekeeping Operations. IDSA. New Delhi. https://www.idsa.in/system/files/jds/jds-16-3-2022_Vijay-Yeshvant-Gidh.pdf

[ix] The Western Indian Ocean Region (WIOR) consists of ten African countries, namely, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Comoros, South Africa, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania and the French overseas territory of Reunion. 

[x] Singh, Gurjit. (2022, November 10). How India and Africa are Redefining Defence Ties. New 18. New Delhi. https://www.news18.com/news/opinion/how-india-and-africa-are-redefining-defence-ties-6354085.html

[xi] Beri, Ruchita. (2021, March 11). India’s Vaccine Maitri with Africa. IDSA Comment. IDSA. New Delhi. https://idsa.in/idsacomments/indias-vaccine-maitri-with-africa-rberi-110321#:~:text=The%20Vaccine%20Maitri%20(Friendship)%20initiative,of%20India's%20partnership%20with%20Africa.

[xii] Dubey, Ajay. (2011). “Looking west 3: Africa” in Handbook of India’s International Relations. David Scott. Routledge International Handbooks.

[xiii] Singh Prakash Swaim. (2022). India-Africa Defence Cooperation: Moving Beyond Engagement. Defence and Diplomacy Journal Vol. 11 No. 2 2022 (January-March). CAPS. New Delhi. https://capsindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/DD-Journal-January-March-2022-Swaim-Prakash-Singh.pdf

[xiv] Mishra Abhishek. (2023. April 18). Dr. S. Jaishankar’s Africa sojourn demonstrates continuity in India-Africa engagement. Observer Research Foundation. New Delhi. https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/continuity-in-india-africa-interaction-is-shown-by-dr-s-jaishankar/