Months after postponing the India-Africa Forum Summit because of the Ebola crisis, New Delhi has started a broad-based dialogue with African countries, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaging multiple African leaders on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit that concluded on Sunday (September 12, 2026).

Mr. Modi hosted Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali on Saturday (September 12, 2026), during which the two leaders discussed regional and global developments, and he met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday.

At the meeting between the Prime Ministers of India and Ethiopia, the External Affairs Ministry said, “The two leaders held discussions aimed at further strengthening the bilateral Strategic Partnership. They reviewed progress across key sectors, including economic cooperation, defence and security partnership, and capacity building.”

In his remarks at the BRICS Summit, the Ethiopian Prime Minister had pitched his country as a frontrunner in digital public infrastructure in Africa and urged the world to prepare to deal with “disruptions”. He said, “Africa should help build the next generation of AI. That requires research, computing capacity, skills and institutions able to lead that work.”

BRICS Summit 2026 September 13 updates

Mr. Modi met President Ramaphosa of South Africa on Sunday (September 13, 2026) and reviewed the state of bilateral relations between their two countries. The New Delhi Declaration issued on Saturday (September 12, 2026) had taken note of the racial injustice that Africans have suffered historically, and also of the Brazilian-South African plan to start an “international panel on inequality”. The declaration also referred to decolonisation and Asian-African solidarity as displayed in the Bandung conference of 1955. It also particularly mentioned the South Africa-initiated legal process at the International Court of Justice against Israel for its military campaign in the Gaza Strip. Acknowledging South Africa’s leading role in holding Israel accountable, the New Delhi Declaration said the proceedings “reaffirmed Israel’s legal obligation to ensure the provision of humanitarian aid in Gaza.”

In his discussion with Mr. Ramaphosa, Mr. Modi reviewed the “multi-faceted strategic partnership” between India and Africa. “The two leaders exchanged views on a range of global issues of mutual interest and agreed to maintain close coordination in multilateral fora,” said the External Affairs Ministry in a statement.

India-Africa Forum

India had also invited the President of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the African Union, to the BRICS Summit, and Mr. Modi hosted him for talks on Sunday (September 13, 2026) and discussed the possibility of hosting the India-Africa Forum Summit “early”.

A statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry said the two sides acknowledged “India-African Union partnership is a key pillar of cooperation within the Global South”. President Ndayishimiye acknowledged India’s assistance to African health authorities in dealing with the Ebola crisis, and Prime Minister Modi appreciated Africa’s successful handling of the outbreak. The Ministry said that “agricultural modernisation, healthcare and capacity-building initiatives” were discussed during the meeting.

Mr. Modi on Sunday (September 13, 2026) also met dignitaries from Uganda and Nigeria — both invited to the New Delhi BRICS summit as “partner countries”. He met Vice President of Uganda Jessica Rose Epel Alupo and reaffirmed India’s support for the country’s ‘Vision 2040’ for a prosperous Uganda. The discussion covered technology partnerships, capacity building, investment facilitation, and private sector collaboration between the two sides. Mr. Modi also met the Vice-President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima Mustapha and discussed initiatives in trade, defence, agriculture, health and digital technologies.

India will not attempt signing free trade agreements (FTA) with the African continent ‘as of now’, and will instead prioritise commercial ties with the trading blocs and customs unions in the continent, said officials here on Saturday (May 9, 2026). The information was shared by officials as preparations are under way for the upcoming India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-IV), where a number of African heads of state and heads of government are expected to attend.

In place of a continental trade pact, India is deepening engagement with customs unions such as the SACU (Southern African Customs Union), which allows duty-free movement of goods within Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. India’s cumulative investment in Africa has reached $80 billion, making it one of the major investors in the continent.

India-Africa trade relations will be a key focus during the fourth India-Africa Forum Summit. The summit which was previously held in 2008, 2011 and 2015, is returning after a gap of over a decade. Officials blamed the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the main reasons that prevented the summit from being scheduled earlier.

Indian officials have intensified engagements with African counterparts over the past weeks. Earlier this week, Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary (Economic Relations) of the Ministry of External Affairs, met with Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, to discuss details of the IAFS-IV. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal visited Tanzania and Kenya between April 27 and May 1, 2026, to tie up plans for the summit.

The summit will begin on May 28 and will continue till May 31. It will include segments on business, culture, security and defence. Separate sessions are also being scheduled for the Foreign Ministers of the participating countries, along with a leaders’ summit.

The Hindu was told that agriculture, energy, and critical minerals will be in focus as India and Africa are dealing with energy and fertilizer disruptions caused by the war in West Asia. Officials indicated that India will also emphasise security and defence ties with the continent during the summit. The presence of 5,000 peacekeepers in Africa’s conflict hotspots, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, will also be highlighted.

The summit is expected to lead to “concrete outcomes” at the level of business initiatives, and a joint statement or a vision statement is also expected.