India-Africa Forum Summit

The summit is a leaders’ meeting between India and the African Union (AU). Terms: LoC means Line of Credit, a loan on easy terms. DFTP means Duty Free Tariff Preference.

1. What is the IAFS, and when did it start?

The IAFS is the highest institutional platform for cooperation between India and African countries. It works under the leadership of the African Union. It was established in 2008.

The AU lists three summits so far. The first was in April 2008 in New Delhi. The second was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in May 2011. The third was in New Delhi in October 2015.

The summit series is not a 1951 idea. The AU and India both date it to 2008.

The first summit set up the framework. The second moved it to African soil and added money for institutions.

2. What happened at the first summit in 2008?

The first summit was held in New Delhi on 8-9 April 2008. It adopted two documents: the Delhi Declaration and the Africa-India Framework for Cooperation.

India offered concessional credit of US$5.4 billion over five years. The Duty Free Tariff Preference scheme was announced at the summit.

Only a chosen group of African leaders came to this summit. The AU and India had agreed a formula to limit the guest list, called the Banjul Formula.

3. What is the Duty Free Tariff Preference scheme?

The Prime Minister announced the DFTP scheme for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) on 8 April 2008. It was announced at the summit, but it covers LDCs everywhere, not only African ones.

The 2008 scheme gave duty-free access on 94 per cent of India’s tariff lines, phased in over five years. It covered tariff lines making up 92.5 per cent of all LDC exports. Cotton, cocoa, cashew nuts and ready-made garments were among the covered goods.

A change from 1 April 2014 widened it. The scheme now gives duty-free or preferential access on about 98.2 per cent of tariff lines. Only 1.8 per cent stay on the exclusion list.

4. What happened at the second summit in 2011?

The second summit was held in Addis Ababa on 24-25 May 2011. It was the first summit held in Africa. Its theme was “Enhancing Partnership: Shared Vision”.

The leaders adopted the Addis Ababa Declaration and the Africa-India Framework for Enhanced Cooperation. They agreed to hold the next summit in 2014 in India.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced three main pledges:

• US$5 billion in Lines of Credit over three years.
• US$700 million for new institutions and training programmes.
• US$300 million for a new Ethiopia-Djibouti railway line.

The third summit was India’s biggest outreach to Africa so far. It came late, because the first date was cancelled.

5. Why was the third summit delayed from 2014?

The Addis Ababa Declaration set the next summit for 2014. India planned it for 4 December 2014 in New Delhi.

In September 2014 India postponed it because of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The foreign ministry spokesperson said India would work with the AU to reschedule it for 2015.

Brookings said it was postponed “ostensibly” because of Ebola. The rescheduled summit still took place in October 2015.

6. How big was the 2015 summit?

The third summit ran from 26 to 29 October 2015 in New Delhi. The leaders’ meeting was on 29 October. Its theme was “Partners in Progress: Towards a Dynamic and Transformative Development Agenda”.

It was the first time India invited all 54 African countries. Earlier summits had used the Banjul Formula to limit guests. Delegations from 54 countries attended, with 41 African heads of state or government.

SAIIA called it the biggest summit in India since the Non-Aligned and Commonwealth summits of 1983.

7. What did India pledge in 2015?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced these pledges on 29 October 2015:

• Concessional credit of US$10 billion over five years, on top of the existing credit programme.
• Grant assistance of US$600 million.
• The grant included a US$100 million India-Africa Development Fund and a US$10 million India-Africa Health Fund.
• 50,000 scholarships in India over five years.

Modi also said India had committed US$7.4 billion in credit and US$1.2 billion in grants since the 2008 summit.

8. What did the Delhi Declaration 2015 say?

The leaders adopted the Delhi Declaration 2015 and the 2015 India-Africa Framework for Strategic Cooperation. They noted that Indians and Africans together make up nearly one-third of humanity. They asked for more democratic global governance.

India noted Africa’s wish for permanent seats in an expanded UN Security Council. Africa noted India’s own wish for a permanent seat. The leaders also agreed a monitoring mechanism and said the next summit would be in 2020.

The declaration welcomed the African Union’s Agenda 2063, a long-term growth plan for the continent.

9. How much of the 2015 pledge was delivered by 2019?

India and the AU held a mid-term review in New Delhi on 11-12 September 2019. The joint statement reported progress on the 2015 pledges:

• More than US$6.4 billion of the US$10 billion in credit was committed or ongoing.
• More than US$700 million in grants was committed or ongoing, above the US$600 million target.
• More than 40,000 of the 50,000 training and scholarship slots were complete.

By May 2026 India reported over US$10 billion through 190 Lines of Credit to 41 African countries. It also reported US$700 million in grants.

The fourth summit was fully planned and then postponed. As of 9 October 2026 no new date has appeared in the sources checked.

10. What was planned for the fourth summit (IAFS-IV)?

India planned to host IAFS-IV in New Delhi from 28 to 31 May 2026, with the AU Commission. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar launched the logo, theme and website on 23 April 2026.

The theme was “IA SPIRIT: India-Africa Strategic Partnership for Innovation, Resilience, and Inclusive Transformation”. The leaders’ summit was set for 31 May. Senior officials were to meet on 28 May and foreign ministers on 29 May.

A business dialogue and exhibition was set for 29-30 May 2026. The AU noted the summit would come 11 years after the last one in 2015.

11. Why was IAFS-IV postponed?

India and the AU issued a joint press release on 21 May 2026. They agreed it was “advisable” to hold the summit at a later date.

The release cited “the emerging public health situation on the continent”. It said India stood ready to support efforts led by Africa CDC. Press reports linked the decision to an Ebola outbreak.

The release said new dates would be set “through mutual consultations”. As of 9 October 2026, no new date had appeared on the AU, Indian embassy or news pages checked. Check the MEA site before an exam.

12. Why did the fourth summit take so long?

The 2015 declaration said the next summit would be in 2020. A 2019 mid-term review was still preparing for IAFS-IV in 2020.

The AU says the summit was delayed by global circumstances, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and by scheduling adjustments. That left an 11-year gap since 2015.

13. How strong are India-Africa ties today?

An Indian embassy press release of 19 May 2026 gives these figures:

• Bilateral trade was US$82 billion in 2024-25. India is Africa’s third-largest trading partner.
• India has opened 17 new missions in recent years. Its presence in Africa rose from 29 to 46 missions.
• India has extended over US$10 billion through 190 Lines of Credit to 41 African countries.
• Over 42,000 African students have studied in India, and 37,000 professionals have trained under ITEC.

A News on AIR report of 10 May 2026 put trade at around US$85 billion. The two figures differ, so this lesson uses the dated 2024-25 figure.

India used its 2023 G20 presidency to push Africa’s case.

14. When did the African Union become a permanent G20 member?

In June 2023 Modi wrote to G20 leaders. He asked that the African Union get full membership at the New Delhi summit.

On 9 September 2023 Modi invited AU Chairperson Azali Assoumani to take his seat. The AU became a permanent member as the summit’s first session began. It joined the European Union as the second regional body with a G20 seat. The AU has 55 member states.

Embassy of India Cairo credits this to India’s G20 presidency. It also links it to the three Voice of Global South Summits.

15. Which Prelims question asked about the summit's history?

UPSC asked about the summit in the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2016, General Studies Paper I, Question 42 (Set A).

Answer key: (a) 1 only. Statement 1 is right: the summits were in 2008, 2011 and 2015. Statement 2 is wrong: the AU says the summit was established in 2008. UPSC’s official key (Series A) gives (a).

16. What traps should you watch for?

• Count and origin. 2015 was the third summit. The series began in 2008, not 1951.
• Venues. 2008 and 2015 were in New Delhi. 2011 was in Addis Ababa.
• Pledge sizes. 2008: US$5.4 billion. 2011: US$5 billion. 2015: US$10 billion plus US$600 million in grants.
• DFTP. It is for LDCs, and 94 per cent became 98.2 per cent in 2014.
• Status. IAFS-IV was postponed in May 2026. Do not write that it was held.