A vital platform to strengthen the economic and strategic as well as technology collaborations between India and African countries, the India-Africa Business Dialogue – IABD and Exhibition was held on the sidelines of the 4th India-Africa Forum Summit – IAFS-IV from May 25 to 29, 2026.
The initiative was launched on May 13, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, where Piyush Goyal, the Indian Union Commerce and Industry Minister, chaired a curtain-raiser event that brought together a group of senior officials, ambassadors, high commissioners, and industry leaders, as well as stakeholders from each side.
The dialogue aims at boosting cooperation in trade, investment, technology and people-to-people exchanges as well as promoting South-South cooperation, the government said.
Speaking at the gathering, Goyal pointed out the civilizational affinities between both India and Africa and said the two can shape a more equitable and innovation-driven future, especially for the Global South, together.
He said that bilateral commerce between India and Africa was USD 93.69 billion in 2025-26, and it grew by 14.39% over the previous year. India’s exports were USD 45.42 billion, and imports stood at USD 48.27 billion.
Goyal highlighted the necessity to move from trading in raw materials to value-added production, unified supply chains, and technology-driven collaboration. He said the key areas of future engagement will be sectors like green hydrogen, electric mobility, renewable energy, digitalization, telecommunications, agriculture, healthcare, and defence production, along with critical minerals.
He also pointed out the significance of youth-led progress, competence, and innovation, saying that almost two-thirds of the total population in both India and Africa are younger than 35 years.
The minister said that the African Continental Free Trade Area – AfCFTA which is worth nearly USD 3.4 trillion – along with India’s USD 4 trillion economy presents tremendous possibilities for greater integration, strong unified supply chains and broadened manufacturing ties.
Rajesh Agrawal, the Commerce Secretary from India, said the forthcoming dialogue is expected to be attended by policymakers, investors, industry leaders and, of course, the entrepreneurs from both the regions.
He said the event will include sectoral roundtables, policy discussions, B2B and B2G meetings and exhibitions highlighting breakthroughs in fields like climate action, digital technologies, manufacturing, healthcare, finance and logistics.
Agrawal added the recent meetings of the India-Kenya and India-Tanzania joint trade committees indicated the increasing trend in India-Africa economic ties.
The move is in line with long-term development objectives like Viksit Bharat 2047 and Africa Agenda 2063, the government said, noting the need for better trade routes and broadened supply chains.
The government has called for a wide range of participation from African and Indian stakeholders so that the summit and associated business events are a success.
