New Delhi's engagement with Africa: Seeking geopolitical alignment

The strengthening of the relationship between India and Africa has yielded mutual benefits and has opened up new vistas of cooperation. Given the evolving global order and the growing traction of China in Africa, this article examines the potential for New Delhi to become a significant player in the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The South African journal of international affairs 2024-04, Vol.31 (2), p.241-260
Main Author: Konwer, Shubhrajeet
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Africa
capacity gap
Cooperation
diplomatic hedging
Geopolitics
Global South
India
International cooperation
multilateralism
people-to-people connections
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Summary:The strengthening of the relationship between India and Africa has yielded mutual benefits and has opened up new vistas of cooperation. Given the evolving global order and the growing traction of China in Africa, this article examines the potential for New Delhi to become a significant player in the region, considering the opportunities and limitations of the India-Africa partnership. This article presents the argument that the disparity in capabilities between New Delhi and Beijing, along with Africa's strategy of 'hedging', may hinder India's progress in achieving its broader objectives of seeking to expand its footprint across the globe. In particular, even with its reputation as a 'vishwaguru' and a 'vishwa bandhu', India may lack the capability to significantly woo African countries to support its stance on 'hard' security issues. Worryingly, the lack of robust 'people-to-people' connections further limits India's ability to expand its influence on the African continent.
ISSN:1022-0461
1938-0275
DOI:10.1080/10220461.2024.2397788