Curtain Raiser For India-Africa Business Dialogue

18 May 2026 CW Team

The dialogue is intended to deepen economic and strategic engagement through trade, investment, technology partnerships and people-to-people links. Bilateral trade measured in United States dollars (USD) reached USD 93.69 bn in 2025–26, up 14.39 per cent year on year, with India’s exports to Africa at USD 45.42 bn and imports at USD 48.27 bn. The minister noted that AfCFTA, at nearly USD 3.4 trillion, alongside India’s USD 4 trillion economy, creates opportunities to diversify supply chains and raise the value of exports.

He emphasised technology transfer and youth-driven growth and identified renewable energy, green hydrogen, green ammonia, electric mobility, digitalisation and telecommunications as priority areas. With nearly two-thirds of the combined population below 35, the minister urged focus on skilling, startups, innovation ecosystems and talent development to ready workforces for future industries. He argued for moving beyond raw material trade towards local manufacturing, integrated value chains and higher-value products.

The commerce secretary outlined thematic priorities for the dialogue, including climate action and sustainability, infrastructure and connectivity, digital innovation and artificial intelligence, manufacturing and micro, small and medium enterprise partnerships, healthcare and human capital development, financial services, logistics and critical minerals. The programme will include plenary sessions, policy dialogues, sectoral roundtables, business-to-business and business-to-government meetings, networking engagements and an exhibition of technologies and best practices. The secretary cited recent India-Kenya and India-Tanzania joint trade committee meetings and reaffirmed commitment to institutional measures such as the Duty-Free Tariff Preference Scheme for least developed countries and to efforts aimed at doubling bilateral trade by 2030.

A curtain raiser for the India-Africa Business Dialogue and Exhibition took place on 13 May 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi under the chairmanship of the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal. The gathering included resident ambassadors and high commissioners from African countries, senior Indian officials, representatives of industry chambers, export promotion councils and business leaders. The event was held as a preparatory platform ahead of the fourth India-Africa Forum Summit. The dialogue is intended to deepen economic and strategic engagement through trade, investment, technology partnerships and people-to-people links. Bilateral trade measured in United States dollars (USD) reached USD 93.69 bn in 2025–26, up 14.39 per cent year on year, with India’s exports to Africa at USD 45.42 bn and imports at USD 48.27 bn. The minister noted that AfCFTA, at nearly USD 3.4 trillion, alongside India’s USD 4 trillion economy, creates opportunities to diversify supply chains and raise the value of exports. He emphasised technology transfer and youth-driven growth and identified renewable energy, green hydrogen, green ammonia, electric mobility, digitalisation and telecommunications as priority areas. With nearly two-thirds of the combined population below 35, the minister urged focus on skilling, startups, innovation ecosystems and talent development to ready workforces for future industries. He argued for moving beyond raw material trade towards local manufacturing, integrated value chains and higher-value products. The commerce secretary outlined thematic priorities for the dialogue, including climate action and sustainability, infrastructure and connectivity, digital innovation and artificial intelligence, manufacturing and micro, small and medium enterprise partnerships, healthcare and human capital development, financial services, logistics and critical minerals. The programme will include plenary sessions, policy dialogues, sectoral roundtables, business-to-business and business-to-government meetings, networking engagements and an exhibition of technologies and best practices. The secretary cited recent India-Kenya and India-Tanzania joint trade committee meetings and reaffirmed commitment to institutional measures such as the Duty-Free Tariff Preference Scheme for least developed countries and to efforts aimed at doubling bilateral trade by 2030.

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