According to a research estimate, Mauritius, Mozambique, and Seychelles will be the main purchasers of Indian armaments between 2017 and 2021. India has recently emerged as a key defence supplier and could meet Africa’s maritime, aerospace, and defence requirements.
At the opening of the CII-Exim Bank Regional Conclave on India-Southern Africa Growth Partnership, where government representatives and titans of business and industry are gathering on Tuesday to discuss a wide range of potential areas of cooperation, the India Exim Bank released a report titled “Reinvigorating India’s Economic Engagements with Southern Africa.”
The report also called for a change from India’s existing strategy of need-based empowerment through training, capacity building, and humanitarian aid in its defence and security cooperation with Africa and other developing nations.
According to the paper, “more collaboration in sectors of aerospace, defence, maritime equipment and vessels can assure security and improve Africa’s technological capability while also accelerating India’s defence export aim of achieving USD 5 billion by 2025.”
“Manufacturers of Indian military vehicles like Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland are already a part of the network. Future indigenously created modern maritime technology, such as drones, unmanned aerial systems, and undersea systems, could also be transferred to Africa “The report made a point.
It also advised a change from India’s present strategy for its defence and security cooperation with developing nations in Africa and elsewhere, which remains need-based and emphasises empowerment through training, capacity building, and humanitarian aid.
The report was released during the meeting where government representatives and leaders of business and industry are further meeting on Tuesday to discuss a wide range of potential areas of cooperation. “The report also suggested a shift from India’s current approach to India’s defence and security cooperation with Africa and other developing countries,” said the report.
A safe and secure maritime environment in the Indian Ocean Region is vital to both India and African nations, particularly the nine African nations that make up the Indian Ocean Littoral Countries (IOLC).
These are Somalia, Mozambique, Seychelles, Kenya, Mauritius, Comoros, South Africa, Tanzania, and Madagascar.
“The Indian Ocean continues to be the connecting shipping route for India, serving as a crucial trade and security route between India and Africa. A strong maritime alliance exists between India and Africa and is built on the regional cooperation model known as SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) “It added while highlighting some of the prior work.
“Ministry of Defence has formalised frameworks of defence cooperation with South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Madagascar,” it said, listing some numbers. “IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association) has been strengthening cooperation within the framework to undertake specific projects.”
According to the report, within Africa, Mauritius accounted for 6.6 per cent of India’s arms exports during 2017-2021, followed by Mozambique (five per cent) and Seychelles (2.3 per cent).
The report also cited cyber security as another potential area for cooperation.
“With exponential growth in mobile smart device ownership and increased use of social media, Africa’s adoption of new technologies is expanding. India has advanced cyber security infrastructure, a dedicated National Cyber Security and a functional nodal agency, Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY),” the report mentioned as institutions which could play a role
Quoting the SIPRI International Arms Transfer Database, the report said India was the 23rd largest defence exporter during the period 2017 to 2021.
