ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of India and Africa's contemporary relationship based on the extant literature. It attempts to sketch an alternative theoretical paradigm that better fits the case, drawing on the work of scholars dedicated to developing a theory of non-Western international relations (IR). In the new millennium, the ongoing repositioning of Asia at the centre of the global economy has shaken Indian and African leaders out of their collective stupor with both sides hustling to exploit the emergent opportunities. The Indian government has sought to promote investment by Indian multinationals, primarily in energy sectors and infrastructure development, but increasingly across an array of economic activity by giving concessionary loans as an incentive to purchase Indian products. Conventional theories of IR cannot fully account for India's relationship with Africa. Focused as they are on state actors, they fail to grasp the depth and breadth of India's African sojourn.
