Namaskar, Konnichiwa,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am glad to address this distinguished gathering at the Japan-India-Africa Business Forum. I would like to begin by expressing my appreciation to the Government of Japan and Nikkei for convening this forum. It highlights the deep and shared commitment of India and Japan to strengthening our engagement bilaterally as well as collaborate to promote development and economic growth in Africa and beyond.
2. India and Japan share a relationship anchored in shared values of democracy, freedom, and rule of law, as well as a common vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. Over the years, our bilateral relations have evolved into a Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Together, we have built strong foundations in areas such as infrastructure, technology, healthcare, and education. Our engagement within Quad further complements and reinforces our bilateral engagement in a wide range of areas for greater public good.
3. Friends, as the Global South emerges as the future driver of economic growth, it is imperative that we ensure its aspirations and interests are fully represented on the global stage. India has consistently championed this cause, whether through the Voice of the Global South Summits or indeed our G20 Presidency—where African Union’s full membership in the G20 was successfully ensured. And ofcourse in platforms such as the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) and India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS).
4. Friends, India’s approach to Africa has always been guided by a deep-rooted commitment to building long-term, mutually-beneficial partnerships. Unlike extractive models of engagement, India believes in capacity-building, skill development, and technology transfer, ensuring that African countries not only benefit from investments but also develop self-sustaining growth ecosystems.
5. Our initiatives such as the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program, the Pan-African e-Network Project, and High-Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) have strengthened local capacities across education, health, and digital infrastructure. To provide high quality virtual education and medical services to our African partners, the e-VidyaBharti and e-ArogyaBharti network was launched in 2019 for tele-education and tele-medicine. Under this initiative, youth from 19 African countries have enrolled for various courses in undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma courses. India believes that investments in human capital would be a truly collaborative and mutually beneficial partnership with Africa.
6. Today, India is Africa’s fourth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching nearly USD 100 billion and growing steadily. India has also made a significant commitment to Africa’s connectivity and infrastructure development, with over USD 12 billion in concessional credit and more than 200 completed projects spread across the continent in areas such as railways, power generation, agriculture, and water supply. India’s development projects in various sectors such as drinking water schemes to irrigation, rural solar electrification, power plants, transmission lines, cement, sugar & textile factories, technology parks, railway infrastructure, etc. have generated local employment and infact changed life in Africa.
7. Friends, India’s deep and longstanding engagement with Africa can make it a natural bridge, whether geographically or in the industrial value chain. With India set for continued rapid economic growth, it serves as an ideal hub for Japanese companies seeking to expand into Africa and the Middle East. Japanese investments, India’s solid industrial base and digital capacitites and African’s talent and consumption can come together to create beneficial outcomes for all stakeholders. India and Japan can also collaborate to strengthen resilient supply chains for African countries, particularly in critical and emerging sectors.
8. Friends, the growth and prosperity of Africa will not only benefit its people but also contribute to broader global stability and economic progress. India and Japan, with their complementary strengths, are well-positioned to support Africa’s development in a sustainable and inclusive manner. I am confident that discussions at this forum will generate valuable insights as well as practical ideas to further strengthen our partnership.
I thank you for your attention.
February 26, 2025