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About the panel:
India's development cooperation with African countries has traditionally been through the framework of South-South Cooperation. Policymakers in New Delhi often make the claim that Indian models of development are more suitable to African realities that those emanating from the Global North and China. India celebrates its home-grown scientific expertise, capacity for 'frugal innovation', and ability to develop Triple-A (affordable, available, adaptable) technologies, which it showcases to other southern partners. New Delhi often refers to Africa as a 'true friend' and 'equal partner', and insists India's presence in Africa is 'demand driven', resulting in 'mutual benefit'.
Indian development cooperation has, over the last seven decades, changed in form from a largely state-controlled activity to incorporate a number of non-state actors, such as multinationals; small firms; NGOs; civil society, regional governments, and the diaspora.
India's modalities of development cooperation on the continent (after the country's experiments with liberalization in 1991), have also become more commercialized. This opens up debates about the role and impact of: the private sector; Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) /Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives; hybrid models of financing; Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), and Triangular Cooperation models.
This panel seek to examine the extent to which India's 'South-South Cooperation' with Africa has changed over the past few decades, and whether African countries can use this interest from India to further their development agendas. Papers that focus on case studies of Indian investments in African agriculture, education, health, information and communications technology (ICT), infrastructure, and irrigation are welcome.