Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced $600m (£393m) in assistance for development projects in Africa at a major summit in Delhi.
More than 50 African leaders are attending the India-Africa Forum Summit, unprecedented in scale, in the Indian capital.
Although India’s trade with Africa has more than doubled to $72bn since 2007, it is still comparatively small.
The meeting is being seen as an attempt by India to improve ties with Africa.
A record number of African leaders, including South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, President Sisi of Egypt and Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir are attending the summit – part of India’s big push to increase its presence in Africa.
‘Bright spots’
Reports say the summit represents the highest number of foreign dignitaries to descend on India since 1983 and is thought to be the biggest ever overseas gathering of African leaders.
Welcoming them, Mr Modi described India and Africa as the “two bright spots of hope in the global economy”.
“The hearts of 1.25 billion Indians and 1.25 billion Africans are in rhythm. We are united by youth – two thirds of India and Africa are below 35. And, if the future belongs to the youth, then this century is ours to shape and build,” Mr Modi said.
The BBC’s Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says India is using its historic ties with the continent, where a large number of Indians migrated during colonial times, to strengthen its economic links.
India is interested in Africa’s natural resource while African countries want to benefit from Indian expertise in high-tech sectors such as IT and mobile phones.
Much of central Delhi has been shut down as the African leaders are being ferried across town in limousines and on Wednesday night, they turned out wearing colourful Indian turbans and jackets at an official dinner.
The first ladies, in the meantime, are being taken sightseeing and given Indian cooking lessons as India pulls out the stops to make the summit a grand success, our correspondent says.
Kusi Boahen
Good vision and nice move
jimmy
This is for all Africans Across Nations .
I have reflected back and realized why we Africans we can’t develop our Countries like Western Countries or other Countries on earth planet ask yourself,i ask myself why?
is it because they have four arms ? or is it because they have four legs ?
no way! is it because they still exploiting from us even today, they are stilling from us cause where they came from they have nothing just snow .
here is one question did Africans invent guns,missiles,tacks,how about new clear weapons we didn’t know none of these and they used them to frightened,to kill,to still and to destroy our Continent and they are still pretending to be helpful to us no way! i don’t believe them,i doubt that, they are lies they are just using us. to get what they don’t have.Gold,diamonds,petrol etc….. look what they did In Libya,Sudan,DRC,how about Iraq did they find what they were looking for ? just innocent Women and Children died because of them shame on you.
what life style Libyans are facing now after they killed Muammar Gaddafi is it a better life or worse? may his Soul Rest in Peace.
how many Africans die every day because of HIV/AIDS,how about Ebola did we create these? hope this is the new strategy they are using to still from us. why Africa?
you will see them pretending to be doctors coming to us with different identities remember before they come to us as Missionaries hope you all knew that and you knew well what they did they thought us Racism,segregation,hatred and we ended up killing each other before we didn’t know about ethnicity staff but the time they arrived in Africa everything fall apart they invented that if i am wrong prove me right.
for them they feel like they can came to Africa whenever they feel like how bout us if we want to go to Europe or USA is it that easy? even if we can make it there we we will be called monkeys???? how many people are dying trying to cross Mediterranean sea are they Whites or Africans ?
and they trick us to be helping us with fake Dollars with no Guarantee.
lets talk here about our African Presidents do they have the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law.towards Western Presidents but their eyes are always in African quick to judge us. we are tired of you. didn’t you had enough? hands full of African innocents brood and still you won’t leave our lives what do you what more. me i am tired of your tricks and you always yelling on us HUMAN RIGHT WATCH and JUSTICE i think we are the one to teach you people Justice.
how many millions Africans American died working in your sugar cane plantations and your wages was hatred,hunger,biting them to death and still you came to us teaching us Justice lies.is that what you have within you hearts for me i don’t think so,still doubting.
Dear beloved Africans we are one this is your time to open your eyes wider open and let’s us hold hand in hand let’s us stick together as our Fathers used to do it. we will get rid of them and we will get there let’s us be united and avoid selling our Legacy to people with no soul. may God bless the United States of Africa.
Thank you all
Jimmy Habinshuti.