Modi makes strong pitch to bolster India-Africa ties, says both face common challenges

India is striving to strenghthen its presence in Africa where China is trying to make inroads by investing in the region.

Making a strong pitch to bolster India-Africa ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India is responsive to the needs of African nations.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of annual meeting of African Development Bank, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, Modi said India is proud of its education and technical ties with Africa.

"Africa and India trade has multiplied in the last 15 yrs and doubled in the last 5 years to US$ 72 billion in 2014-15," he said.

Emphasising that India has had strong ties with Africa for centuries, the Prime Minister said India's partnership with Africa is based on a model of cooperation.

"Many of the challenges we face are the same, uplifting our farmers and the poor and empowering women," he said.

"Our challenges also include ensuring our rural communities have access to finance, building infrastructure," he added.

Modi further said India has made unprecedented capital investment improve infrastructure, especially in railways, highways, power and gas pipeline.

"By next year, no village in India will be without electricity," he added.

Speaking at the same event earlier, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said India and Africa would emerge as key partners in agriculture and food security, adding that 21st century would belong to both Asia and Africa.

Jaitley also said inward looking policies of some advanced countries may increase possibility of disruption in global economy.

India is striving to strenghthen its presence in Africa where China is trying to make inroads by investing in the region.

The five-day event in Gandhinagar will be attended by 40 African heads of state or government and representatives of all 54 countries from the continent.

India joined the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 1983. Africa is an important trade partner of India. Indian private sector has a significant presence in Africa with investments ranging from automobile manufacture to drugs and pharmaceuticals, textiles to IT services, water treatment to petroleum refining.

Many Asian investments in Africa are backed by China, with Japanese and Indian partners also showing increased interest in African investment in recent years.

OneIndia News