India and Africa have a historic and umbilical relationship. While this makes a good talking point during speeches, it requires an objective assessment of the extent and depth of our engagement to withstand scrutiny and inform better policy choices.It is also a fact that India has consistently, even if occasionally in an ad hoc manner, engaged with African countries. India emerged as a strong voice for Africa’s emancipation from the colonial yoke and, from then on, through the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), has stood for and advocated the core concerns of African countries, especially the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), in international fora, be it GATT/WTO, the UN, CHOGM or climate change negotiations, and now in discussions on reforming the UN Security Council.During its G20 presidency in 2023, India ensured that the African Union (AU) became a permanent member of the G20. This was widely appreciated and earned India considerable goodwill across Africa.Besides, through its extensive capacity-building assistance and “Share and Care” approach, India has helped the continent significantly in creating skilled manpower, modern institutions and infrastructure, particularly in education and defence. Indian teachers and professors were widely respected, especially by those who studied during the 1960s to the 1980s. Unfortunately, this highly effective mode of engagement has diminished and needs to be revived. Several African leaders fondly recall their Indian teachers even after 40 to 50 years. Dozens of military officers trained in India have risen to become heads of government and heads of state in their respective countries.Thousands of Africans have been trained under the fully funded Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme and have risen to occupy responsible positions. Another important capacity-building initiative is the training of about 80 women every year to work on solar panels. Fondly known as “Solar Mamas”, they return home and electrify their communities, providing electricity to at least 50 households each.Technological competency initiatives in sunrise sectors, through centres of excellence and bilateral, regional, sub-regional and trilateral formats with like-minded countries such as France, Japan and the UAE, have now been mooted across the economic spectrum.One of the most important connectivity and capacity-building programmes launched by India, pursuant to the vision of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, was the Pan-Africa e-Network initiative. It focused on telemedicine, tele-education and e-governance, as well as connectivity among heads of state across 48 countries. The initiative involved five leading Indian universities offering courses and 12 super-speciality hospitals providing consultations and medical education. It was fully funded by the Indian government under the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).The programme has since been upgraded and expanded under the Modi government under the e-Vidya Bharati and e-Arogya Bharati initiatives. Reportedly, more than 7,000 students have completed their studies. Since the 1950s, India has encouraged African students through scholarships for higher education, training and capacity building at Indian institutions. According to estimates, there are currently more than 55,000 students from various African countries studying in India.India also has a long history of cooperation in defence capacity building in various African countries and has participated in UN peacekeeping operations since 1960 in Congo. Its role has been broadly appreciated, particularly in efforts to prevent genocide in South Sudan. Similarly, Indian women police personnel did a remarkable job in Liberia, which was rather unique, and former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was full of praise for them.Currently, India trains a large number of Africans not only at its defence institutions but also in peacekeeping operations and military manoeuvres, in addition to providing training in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations. India has also established National Defence Colleges in several countries, including Nigeria.It would also be useful to align India’s engagement with the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), devised by the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU), to address African challenges such as genocide and ethnic cleansing.India has also been very active in anti-piracy operations along the East Coast of Africa, particularly around Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, extending to the Mozambique Channel, to ensure the freedom of trade and communication. The Indian Navy has successfully escorted around 2,500 vessels. Like the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), New Delhi needs to take a more strategic approach to the Gulf of Guinea and other maritime domain awareness initiatives.In the wake of the US-Iran and Israel war, and the closure and blockade of strategic choke points, it has become imperative for New Delhi to reorient its energy security efforts in a mutually beneficial manner towards the African continent and to secure sea lanes of communication through collaboration and capacity building.The diaspora plays a significant role in building bridges at the people-to-people level and, in turn, contributes to the growth of bilateral relations, especially in the economic sphere and through the leadership positions acquired by members of the diaspora as a result of their exposure and experience in their respective countries.There are an estimated three million people of Indian origin across the African continent, many of whom have achieved considerable success. The Indian community has increasingly sought to respond to the socio-economic needs of local communities by providing services in areas such as education, healthcare, job creation and employment.No wonder the former President of Nigeria stated on more than one occasion that Indian industrialists were the second-largest providers of employment in Nigeria after the federal government. The time is also ripe to institutionalise engagement with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking at the Parliament in Kampala in July 2018, outlined his Africa vision through ten guiding principles. These include: Africa is among India’s top priorities and the momentum of cooperation will be sustained through regular exchanges; development partnerships will reflect African priorities; preferential access to Indian markets will be provided for African products; India will assist Africa in harnessing the digital revolution; improve Africa’s agricultural potential; fight climate change together; work together to keep oceans and maritime lanes free for all; ensure that Africa, instead of becoming a theatre of competition, becomes a nursery for its youth; and aspire and work together for a just, representative and democratic global order.These are ideal, achievable and collaborative policies that call for a paradigm shift from the approaches of other major powers seeking to enter the continent in a new “Gold Rush” for exploitation through neo-colonialist approaches.India-Africa relations have developed into a multifaceted partnership encompassing political engagement, trade and investment, development cooperation, capacity building, healthcare, education, digital connectivity, ICT, artificial intelligence, defence cooperation, space, critical minerals, food and energy security, renewable energy and multilateral collaboration.The 4th India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS), which was postponed due to the Ebola crisis, needs to be held at the earliest to focus on current issues, challenges and solutions.India-Africa engagement will be decisive in shaping the emerging world order, as the combined synergies of natural and human resources, capital and human-centred approaches can be aligned for the global good through the convergence of Agenda 2063 and Viksit Bharat 2047.The partnership offers an opportunity to focus on innovation, resilience and inclusive transformation for sustainable development.