The government has announced that the upcoming India-Africa Business Dialogue (IABD) and Exhibition, to be held alongside the 4th India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-IV), will focus on expanding economic, strategic and technology partnerships between India and African nations.
A curtain raiser event for the initiative was organised on May 13 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi under the leadership of Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. The event brought together ambassadors, high commissioners, policymakers, industry leaders and stakeholders from India and across Africa.
The dialogue aims to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, technology and people-to-people engagement while reinforcing South-South collaboration. Addressing the gathering, Goyal highlighted the deep civilisational ties between India and Africa and stressed that both regions can jointly drive a more inclusive and innovation-led future for the Global South.
He noted that bilateral trade between India and Africa touched USD 93.69 billion in 2025-26, recording a growth of 14.39 per cent over the previous year. India’s exports accounted for USD 45.42 billion, while imports stood at USD 48.27 billion.
Goyal emphasised the need to move beyond traditional raw material trade and focus on value-added manufacturing, integrated supply chains and technology-led partnerships. He identified renewable energy, green hydrogen, electric mobility, digitalisation, telecommunications, healthcare, agriculture, defence manufacturing and critical minerals as major areas for future collaboration.
Highlighting demographic advantages, the minister said nearly two-thirds of the population in both India and Africa is under the age of 35, creating strong opportunities for innovation, skilling and entrepreneurship.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said the upcoming event will include policy discussions, sectoral roundtables, B2B and B2G meetings, along with exhibitions showcasing innovations in climate action, finance, logistics, healthcare and manufacturing. The initiative also aligns with India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision and Africa Agenda 2063.
