India's Development Diplomacy and Soft Power in Africa

Indian state and non-state actors have deployed their soft power in Africa from India's independence. Since then, as a result of internal shifts brought on by economic liberalisation, the rise of the political right and the quest for greater regional and global influence, India's geopolitical imaginary has changed. Hitherto shaped by a shared sense of postcolonial marginality, Third Worldism and South-South cooperation, the country's relationship with Africa is being reconfigured by a growing sense of Indian exceptionalism. This volume explores key elements at the heart of this Africa policy, from India's capacity-building for Africa to its global educational ambitions.