To counter China, India aims at Africa toehold

Desperately seeking an entry into the resource-rich Africa, India has offered its capabilities in science and technology and institution building to the African countires.

The idea behind the offer is to help African nations develop and market home-grown commercial products, which eventually will help them come out of their poverty.

As a quid pro quo, New Delhi expects more access to Africa’s rich mineral reserves, including strategic minerals, and some diplomatic leverage in a continent where China wields considerable influence.

Over the years, China established diplomatic relations with 48 out of 54 African nations and invested heavily in building roads, ports and other infrastructure in those countires. Africa is a stable trading partner and resource supplier for China.

“Our strategy is to invest in knowledge and skills to uplift the quality of life for Africans. Africa needs roads and ports, but it also requires more education, job and better quality life, where we intend to score,” pointed out a scientist associated with building Indo-African partnership in science.

The Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Science and Technology in association with the African Union have been working on a science and technology programme since 2010. Some of the initiatives are already showing results.

More than 50 scientists from Central Leather Research Institute in Chennai went to Ethiopia in the last two years to train African researchers on how to convert animal hide into world-class leather products. The experience encouraged other African countries to take a leaf out of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) book.

“We want to establish a series of scientific institutes, which can be a point of connection for the industry following CSIR model,” said V S Massingve, MozambiqueScience Minister.

The CSIR plans to set up its first three outstation research centres in Mozambique, Tanzania and Democratic Republic Congo for application and industry oriented scientific research.

India is extending help to set up a weather forecasting centre for helping African nations with accurate weather forecasting, required in agriculture. A textile cluster and more support to the Pan-African University in Nigeria are also in the offing.
National Innovation Foundation, that promotes grass root innovation, signed an agreement with the science ministries of Mozambique and Zimbabwe for the transfer of products innovated by grass root innovators in India. Both the agreements were signed during the first India-Africa science and technology ministerial conference.