Indo-African Summit: India expediting self-reliance in international arena

By-Surbhi Moudgil

The Indo-African Forum Summit in New Delhi is set to take place from October 26 to 29, 2015. The summit would discuss the issues related to World Trade Organization (WTO), self-reliance, economic liberalization and how to decrease Official Development Assistance (ODA) dependence in African nations.

As India and Africa are on similar junctures of development, sustainability and self-dependence, India steps towards guiding Africa from experiences of economic liberalization that began in 1991 to limit its dependence on the net ODA.

Indian government initiated various schemes like, National Watershed Development Project, Kisan Credit Card Scheme to make adequate and timely credit available to farmers. On the other hand, fast-track review of Public Sector Units (PSUs) under the department of Heavy Industry were initiated with a view to make them economically viable.

On similar lines, to achieve sustainability and keeping the climate issues in check, India is on a mission to garner energy from alternate sources like sun and water. The government has taken policy measures to equip households with solar panels to address their energy needs.

These experiences and learnings of Indian way of achieving the SDGs would help the African nations to address their daily needs in various fields. It is imperative for India to help these nations to get support on international fora where it seeks to identify itself as a global leader in the South Asian region.

The big brother India, in the subcontinent, is gradually and cautiously striding into building a parallel image on the global front. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's, bilateral venture into propagating and assisting other nations to achieve the self-sustainable goal, showcases his vision.

The alignment of Africa and India on the concerns of World Trade Organization (WTO) will be rewarding on both sides.

The venture is anticipating to achieve the targets of: sustainable development, infrastructure, inclusive growth, human resources', accountable institutions and new global partnership.

Higher the ratio of interdependence, better are the chances of enduring bilateral relations. India desires to achieve the similar relations with Africa, as countries in that subcontinent are on the similar transformation level as India's.

Prime Minister Modi, expressed his expectations from his collaboration, "We will create conditions that stimulate trade and investment flows between our countries. We will work together to address the problems of climate change. We will explore new areas like a sustainable blue economy. We hope to learn a great deal from numerous African success stories,"

With both the States visualising to accomplish great heights from this interdependency, one needs to evoke the theory of Big Push to create a long standing impact of development.

Paul Rosenstein-Rodan in his theory of Big Push deliberates a path way to create an impactful version of sustainable development in a collaboration. He points out, "There is a minimum level of resources' that must be devoted… a development programme if it is to have any chance of success. Launching a country into self-sustaining growth is like getting an airplane off the ground. There is a critical ground speed which must be passed before the craft can be airborne…"

India is strategically building its stance in the international arena as not the penurious but the patron. In the recent past, twenty three countries had requested India to evacuate their citizens from Yemen and now India is investing into building self-reliance in Africa are merry stepping stones to achieve a status of developed nation with superior capabilities for advanced international relations.