Originally Published as ‘India in Africa: From Deliverables to Purpose’, in Pamla. Gopaul and Veda Vaidyanathan. Eds. The Africa–India Blueprint for Growth, New Delhi: Centre for Social and Economic Progress, 9 February 2026. 27–31.

Can India’s Africa policy do better? The question will obviously be
answered in the affirmative whether by Indians or by Africans if nothing else, because India is a rising and ambitious power in global politics. Capacity issues are frequently cited but those are applicable to Indian foreign policy in general and are being addressed, however gradually. Consider, for instance, India’s increasing diplomatic presence in the form of embassies and
staff in Africa over the past decade (Ministry of External Affairs [MEA], 2025).

However, even leaving capacity issues aside, India’s rise and ambitions collide with other powers either long present or much more active in Africa than India has been. What then is the space available to India to make a difference or what must it do to stand out in a crowded field? That is the central problem that not just India’s Africa policy but its foreign policy in general faces. This paper argues that while India’s focus is now on project implementation in Africa, norm entrepreneurship is necessary too but remains weak. Given this weakness, the paper further argues that an explicit declaration of competition with rival powers in Africa might allow for better articulation of both norms and policy, and in turn, better policymaking and implementation

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