PM Narendra Modi has articulated a key principle of India’s Africa policy: That African priorities would guide India’s engagement (Representative image).

4 min read May 13, 2026 05:18 PM IST First published on: May 13, 2026 at 05:16 PM IST

The fourth India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS IV), scheduled for May 28-31, is a moment to rethink how India engages Africa in a rapidly changing world, and find ways to keep the relationship anchored in, but not dependent on, a summit.

IAFS IV was due in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a period of intense global diplomatic churn , resulted in a prolonged pause. Africa’s global partnerships have deepened and diversified since. The resumption must therefore contend with a far more competitive landscape. The European Union and Japan held summits with African partners in 2025, South Korea convened ministerial consultations.…