Jaishankar emphasizes common aspirations, self-reliance in India-Africa partnership

Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar speaks at the Adwa Memorial Museum in Addis Ababa on October 9, 2026. Photo: X/@DrSJaishankar via PTI.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday (October 9, 2026) highlighted the historic India-Africa partnership rooted in shared solidarity and common pursuit of justice, representation and freedom to shape our own future, while outlining key areas of cooperation between the two sides.

Mr Jaishankar arrived in Ethiopia on Thursday (October 8, 2026) from Ivory Coast on the last leg of his three-nation tour of African countries, which also included Ghana.

Addressing a gathering at the Adwa Memorial Museum in Addis Ababa, Mr Jaishankar said India’s and Africa’s development visions emphasized industrialization, which should not be negated by flooding markets with cheap goods or restricting market access.

He highlighted the strong trade and investment ties between India and African countries across sectors such as manufacturing, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, energy, mining, agriculture, infrastructure, financial services and information technology.

Mr. Jaishankar said that self-reliance is a shared belief that provides a solid foundation for an enduring partnership between India and Africa.

India’s development partnership with African countries has been guided by the priorities of the partner countries, he said, adding that India has “supported more than 220 projects” in areas such as “power generation, power transmission, water, agriculture, railways, health, manufacturing and public infrastructure”.

He also highlighted India’s capacity building initiatives and said that more than 70,000 African students and professionals have received support from India over the past decade.

Highlighting the growing role of technology in bilateral cooperation, Jaishankar highlighted the transformative impact of digital governance and expanding cooperation on the India Stack.

“The transformative impact of digital governance as well as India Stack’s growing collaboration with Africa. Space, drones and artificial intelligence are the new frontiers of this collaboration,” he said.

Mr Jaishankar also highlighted India’s efforts to strengthen Africa’s health security through vaccine support, pharmaceutical investment and donation of Bhabhatron cancer treatment machines.

In a separate post on X, Mr. Jaishankar said India and Ethiopia share a vision of “AI for all” and its potential for development and prosperity.

He also visited the Ethiopian Science Museum, which he described as a symbol of the country’s efforts to build a technology-driven knowledge economy. Cooperation in science and innovation, he said, would play a bigger role in India-Ethiopia strategic partnership.

Published – 10 Oct 2026 06:49 IST