Pune: Raksha Mantri Invites African Countries To Explore Indian Defence Equipment And Technologies

Pune, 28th March 2023: The India-Africa Army Chiefs’ Conclave was held on March 28, 2023, in Pune, Maharashtra, on the sidelines of the 2nd Africa-India Joint Exercise ‘AFINDEX’. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh reiterated India’s commitment to supporting African partner countries in all defence-related matters, including capability enhancement of their Armed Forces, to ensure their economic growth and social development.

India has been providing training to the Armed Forces of African nations and equipping them with the necessary skills to face the security challenges of the 21st century. The training programmes cover a wide range of areas, including counter-insurgency operations, peacekeeping, maritime security, and specialised training in new domains such as cyber warfare and drone operations. A large number of African Countries’ Armed Forces personnel continue to visit India for training in different areas.

Rajnath Singh emphasised the need to build robust state structures that can cater to the needs and aspirations of the people. He described capacity building in terms of defence equipment and platforms as another critical aspect of India’s military cooperation with its African partners. He invited the African countries to explore Indian defence equipment and technologies to fulfil their security needs.

The Raksha Mantri described relative technological backwardness as one of the most important causes holding the developing world from high economic growth rates. Stating that new and emerging technologies provide an opportunity to leapfrog this gap, he extended India’s expertise in digital and clean & green technologies for the benefit of African nations. He made special mention of India’s achievement of financial inclusion of the entire citizenry through a Unified Payment Interface (UPI), describing it as a Financial Revolution.

Rajnath Singh called for turning the demographic dividend of India and Africa, representing a third of humanity, into an engine of growth and development. “Many African nations have the fastest rate of growth of population in the world. As per some projections, by 2050, there would be one African, out of every four people in the world. Therefore, if humanity has to develop, Africa has to develop. Today, Africa is home to more than a billion vibrant people, with more than two-thirds of them under the age of 35. If this human capital is supported with the right opportunities, it will become the growth engine for not just Africa, but also for the entire world,” he added.

The India-Africa Army Chiefs’ Conclave was structured on the central theme of ‘Africa-India Militaries for Regional Unity – AMRUT’. It was aimed to strengthen and improve synergy between the militaries of India and African nations as part of a regional cooperation mechanism.

The Conclave focussed on joint training and defence cooperation amongst the nations to evolve an institutionalised framework to enhance collaboration in the fields of joint military training, and execution of peacekeeping operations; besides promoting Indian defence industries. It is a major landmark in deep-rooted defence ties between India and African nations, thereby enhancing regional cooperation.

The Raksha Mantri also emphasised that the people of India and Africa together represent a third of humanity, a demographic dividend which has to be used wisely. He called for turning this huge human resource into an engine of growth and development. “Many African nations have the fastest rate of growth of population in the world. As per some projections, by 2050, there would be one African, out of every four people in the world. Therefore, if humanity has to develop, Africa has to develop.

India has been at the forefront of providing training to the Armed Forces of African nations and equipping them with the necessary skills to face the security challenges of the 21st century. The training programmes cover a wide range of areas, including counter-insurgency operations, peacekeeping, maritime security and specialised training in new domains such as cyber warfare and drone operations.

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