India–Africa relations: From historical solidarity to strategic partnership

AS INDIA prepares to host the fourth India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-IV) from May 28 to 31 in New Delhi, there is an opportunity to re-assess India-Zambia ties under the broader rubric of India-Africa relations.
It is quite clear that the narrative that emerges goes beyond just bilateral ties – it is a story that reflects the evolution established diplomatic relations with Zambia immediately after its independence in 1964, marking the beginning of a partnership built on trust, solidarity, and mutual respect.
The year 2024 marked 60 years of this robust relationship.
The political aspect of India–Zambia ties mirrors the broader dynamism of IndiaAfrica engagement. Across Africa, India maintains resident diplomatic missions in 46 countries, matched by an equal African diplomatic presence in India – an indicator of deep institutional connectivity.
Over the past decade alone, India and African nations have witnessed more than 150 high-level visits, reflecting intensified engagement. Within this framework, Zambia has remained a consistent and active partner. From the frequent visits of President Kenneth Kaunda to India to recent engagements such as President Ramnath Kovind’s visit to Zambia in 2018, the relationship has been sustained through continuous dialogue.
More recent institutional interactions, including the 6th Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation in November 2024 and multiple sectoral engagements in 2025, underscore a shift towards from the continent. Within this larger framework, Zambia represents both an established partner and an emerging opportunity. Bilateral trade between India and Zambia stood at around US$379.56 million in 2024–25, with India exporting pharmaceuticals, machinery, and manufactured goods, while importing copper, cobalt, and other critical minerals.
While these figures remain modest compared to continental totals, they highlight significant untapped potential.
With African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) reshaping regional markets, Zambia’s strategic location and resource base could position it as a gateway for Indian businesses seeking deeper integration into Africa.
Indian investment India’s engagement with Africa – and Zambia is a major machinery, banking and manufacturing amongst others.
Recent developments indicate a transition from resource-centric investments to value-added and technology driven partnership. The 2025 agreement to establish a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Lusaka is a case in point, aligning with Africa’s broader push for healthcare selfbeneficiary of this. India has extended over US$10 billion in Lines of Credit to African countries, supporting projects in power, agriculture, water, and connectivity. In Zambia, this has translated into visibly useful outcomes, including the ItezhiTezhi Hydropower Project, rural health centres, urban infrastructure and capacity-building initiatives.
flows further of a partnership rooted in history, yet increasingly shaped by shared ambitions in a rapidly changing global geopolitical order.
India and Africa share civilisational linkages that date back centuries through Indian Ocean trade routes, cultural exchanges, and widespread people-to-people contacts. These ties were further reinforced during the 20th century through a shared struggle against all forms of colonialism. In this wider historical canvas, Zambia occupies a special place. India structured and sector-specific cooperation.
Economically, India-Africa relations have expanded significantly, with total trade reaching approximately US$82 billion between 2024 and 2025, making India Africa’s fourthlargest trading partner. What is of note here is the fact that this trade relationship is a balanced one with Indian exports to reinforce this partnership.
India’s cumulative investment in Africa has reached nearly US$80 billion, making it the fifth largest investor in Africa.
Zambia alone accounts for over US$5 billion in pledged Indian investments. Indian companies have a strong presence on Zambia’s economic landscape, spanning sectors such as mining, energy, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, agroreliance while leveraging India’s strength as the “pharmacy of the world”. This is particularly significant given that India already supplies nearly 50 percent of Africa’s generic medicines and played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic by delivering vaccines and medical assistance across the Continent.
Development partnership remains the cornerstone of What distinguishes India’s development model is its emphasis on demand-driven, locally aligned cooperation. This approach was at the centre of the Ten Guiding Principles of our Engagement with Africa as enunciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the Ugandan parliament in July 2018.
This approach is reflected in capacity-building efforts, with over 70,000 scholarships and training slots offered to African countries since 2015. Zambia has actively participated in programmes such as ITEC and other skill development initiatives, reinforcing human capital development as a central pillar of bilateral ties.
Further, the human dimension of India’s ties with Africa remains critical. The Indian diaspora in Africa – estimated at around 3.5 million – continues to serve as a vital bridge between India and the Continent. In Zambia, the 35,000-strong diaspora contributes significantly to sectors such as trade, manufacturing, and services, while also fostering cultural exchange and social cohesion.
Cultural diplomacy further strengthens these ties. From
ICCR-sponsored cultural exchanges to Zambia’s active participation in Indian cultural festivals such as Surajkund Mela, these interactions deepen mutual understanding and reinforce shared cultural affinities.
In this evolving landscape, India-Africa Forum Summit remains the central institutional pillar of engagement. Since its launch in 2008, the IAFS has provided a structured platform for dialogue and co-operation, aligning India’s development experience with Africa’s priorities under Agenda 2063. The upcoming IAFS-IV, under the theme ‘India–Africa Strategic Partnership for Innovation, Resilience and Inclusive Transformation (IA SPIRIT)’, seeks to take this partnership to the next level.
Importantly, India’s engagement with Africa today is guided by clearly articulated principles, emphasising partnership based on African priorities. This approach is also evident in India’s support for Africa’s enhanced role in global governance, including its successful advocacy for the African Union’s inclusion as a permanent member of the G20 as well support for inclusion of two African nations (Ethiopia and Egypt) in the expanded BRICS.
New areas of cooperation are also emerging. Digital public infrastructure, fintech, and e-governance solutions – collectively known as India Stack – are being extended to several African countries.
Similarly, defence and maritime cooperation, including joint exercises and capacity building, are strengthening security partnerships. Climate cooperation is another promising frontier, with multiple African countries participating in initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance, the Global Biofuel Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, and the International Big Cat Alliance.
For Zambia, these developments present an opportunity to deepen engagement with India across emerging sectors such as digital transformation, renewable energy, and sustainable agriculture. Finally, India Zambia relations must be viewed within the larger India–Africa moment – one defined by a rebalancing of global power and the growing voice of the Global South. As IAFS-IV convenes in New Delhi, it offers an opportunity not just to reaffirm past commitments, but to re-imagine the partnership for a future defined by innovation, resilience, and inclusive growth.
In this journey, India and Zambia – bound by history and propelled by shared aspirations – are well positioned to shape a partnership that is inclusive, transformational and sustainable.
The author is Indian High Commissioner to Zambia.