External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday (April 23) unveiled the logo, theme and website for the Fourth India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-IV) alongside the Ambassadors of some African nations. The summit is scheduled for May 28 to 31 in New Delhi, more than a decade after the last edition was held in India.“The forthcoming Summit will shape the next phase of our partnership – one that is more ambitious, more inclusive, and more future-oriented. It will enable us to exchange best practices, share successful experiences and discuss common challenges,” Jaishankar wrote in a post on X.The focus on the summit can also be read as part of India’s larger geopolitical aspirations, where it has highlighted its commitments to centre voices from the Global South. Here is what to know.What is the India-Africa Forum Summit?Officially, it has been described as the “apex institutional mechanism for India’s engagement with Africa.” Established in 2008, it covers areas ranging from trade to people-to-people relations. An important player in these discussions is the African Union, the body representing the 55 member countries of the African continent.The first summit was held in 2008 in New Delhi, which saw the adoption of the Delhi Declaration and the India-Africa Framework for Cooperation. The declaration spoke of “redefining and re-invigorating the decades-old partnership and historical and civilizational links between the African continent and India.”It highlighted common issues of concern, such as climate change, noting its “particularly severe” effects on developing countries, and securing protections for livelihoods, food security and rural development at groupings like the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The framework further outlined cooperation in specific sectors, and learning from best practices like India’s mid-day meal programme for raising school attendance, and the creation of credit unions in rural India.Also Read | Why India must put Africa at the heart of its Global South visionThe second summit was held in 2011 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which is also the seat of the African Union Commission. The resultant declaration was more detailed in its scope, and noted “substantial” flows of Foreign Direct Investment and concessional loans from India to Africa in the preceding years.Story continues below this adBuilding on these developments, a much more expansive third summit was held in 2015 in New Delhi. While the previous Indian summit included only some regional representatives from Africa, this edition included leaders from all African nations. The New Delhi declaration explicitly centred representation in global fora as an important goal, stating, “We note that Indians and Africans together comprise nearly one-third of humanity today. However, they continue to be excluded from appropriate representation in the institutions of global governance that were designed for an era since long past.”The fourth summit was scheduled for 2020 but was postponed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.Where do India-Africa ties stand today, and what can be expected from the summit?In his speech on Thursday, the EAM highlighted India-Africa engagement, noting the expansion of diplomatic missions in Africa, as well as joint participation in initiatives like the International Solar Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the International Big Cat Alliance.In Opinion | PM Modi’s Ethiopia visit: With car diplomacy, new avenues for Indian investment in AfricaHe spoke of India’s position as one of Africa’s largest trade partners. India-Africa trade grew from around $75 billion in 2015 to $103 billion in FY 2025. According to a report from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Indian exports to Africa were around $45 billion, while imports stood at $58 billion. “Major Indian exports include mineral fuels and oils, automobiles, pharmaceuticals… Major imports from Africa include crude oil, diamonds, copper, precious and semi-precious stones, minerals and some agricultural products,” it said.Story continues below this adThe report also noted that the decade from 2010 to 2020 saw “significant growth and deepening economic ties between India and African nations… marked by a diversification of trade, increased investment, and a strengthening of development partnerships.” India has also moved beyond traditional trade partners to establish ties with a wider range of African countries, it said.Foreign policy analysts in India had long called for the much-delayed summit to transpire. India has important stakes in Africa, ranging from its 3 million-strong diaspora to the continent’s potential for economic growth, with a young population at its centre. The summit will likely expand and deepen the remit of cooperation, as has been the case through the previous editionsAccording to the official press release, the theme for the fourth IAFS is “IA SPIRIT – India Africa Strategic Partnership for Innovation, Resilience and Inclusive Transformation”. “‘SPIRIT’ captures the essence of a relationship that goes beyond transactions, and is marked by shared values, mutual respect, solidarity and collaboration,” it said.It also comes at a time of several concurrent global conflicts and crises, and when countries are looking to shore up ties given the uncertainty brought on by US President Donald Trump. In his second term, African nations such as South Africa and Nigeria have found themselves targeted for their domestic policies and issues through means such as tariffs. Notably, the US will also host the G20 leaders’ summit in November, a year after it did not participate in the edition hosted by South Africa.