Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, May 28, 2025- India Exim Bank organized Africa-India Partnership Day (AIPD) programme as part of the events associated with the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). The theme of this year’s AIPD, ‘Mobilising Capital: India’s Role in Catalysing Africa's Sustainable Growth’, underscores the growing strategic and economic synergy between India and Africa in the pursuit of inclusive and sustainable development.
India Exim Bank’s study titled ‘Unlocking Africa’s Sustainable Growth: India’s Role and Opportunities’ was released during the 10th AIPD 2025 programme held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire on May 28, 2025, by Dr. Rajesh Ranjan, Ambassador of India to the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Mr. Lancine Diaby, Director General, Ministry of Finance, Government of Côte d’Ivoire, Ms. Knudsen Mette, Executive Director, AfDB, Mr. Vivek Saraswat, General Manager & Board Member, TATA Africa Côte d’Ivoire and and Ms. Harsha Bangari, Managing Director, India Exim Bank.
Africa stands at a crucial juncture, showing strong economic recovery with 3.7% GDP growth in 2024 and a projected 4.3% in 2025. The continent's resilience is evident despite global disruptions, as it continues advancing regional integration and structural reforms. With a youthful population and growing focus on sustainability, Africa is poised for long-term, inclusive growth.
The study identifies four key pathways essential for ensuring resilient and inclusive growth in Africa: investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, leveraging natural resource wealth for economic transformation, fostering a competitive private sector and promoting regional integration through mechanisms like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It emphasizes that these goals require substantial financing, innovative partnerships and a strengthening of domestic policy frameworks and governance mechanisms.
The study points out the urgent need to bridge Africa’s development financing gap of nearly US$ 495.6 billion annually until 2030. It recommends innovative instruments such as blended finance, tripartite partnerships involving India, African states and partners such as GCC sovereign funds, and the use of green bonds, carbon markets and debt-for-climate swaps to mobilize long-term capital for sustainable development.
A central argument advanced in the study is that India emerges as a strategic and natural partner in Africa’s development journey. The partnership is framed by shared historical ties and mutual interests across critical sectors such as energy, infrastructure, health, education and digital technology. The study documents India’s growing trade and investment footprint in Africa, as well as its development cooperation through lines of credit, capacity-building programs and technical assistance, presenting this as a distinctive South-South model that contrasts with conventional donor-recipient approaches.
India’s development partnership with Africa, reaffirmed at the 10th Africa-India Partnership Day, is structured around five pillars: infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, digital innovation, and clean energy. The study highlights India Exim Bank’s pivotal role in operationalizing this partnership by facilitating trade and investment through a suite of financial instruments, including project finance, buyer’s credit, and capacity-building initiatives. These efforts reinforce India's role as a strategic development partner committed to Africa’s long-term, inclusive growth.
The study argues that for this potential to be realized, the partnership must evolve into a long-term, trust-based cooperation framework that supports Africa’s aspirations for green, inclusive and self-reliant growth.
For further information, please contact:
Mr. David Sinate, Chief General Manager, Research & Analysis Group, Export Import Bank of India, 8th Floor, Maker Chamber IV, Jamnalal Bajaj Marg, Nariman Point, Mumbai – 400021
T: 91-22-22860353, E-mail: dsinate[at]eximbankindia[dot]in