By Enersider Desk | New Delhi
A convening organised by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and Energiva Ventures brought together government representatives from India and African nations, along with scholars and experts, to examine cooperation across climate, energy and infrastructure sectors.
The event identified transferable lessons and partnership models, exploring institutional approaches across policy, standards and trade that could sustain economic cooperation between India and African nations, particularly in clean technology manufacturing and infrastructure development. It also generated actionable recommendations to accelerate knowledge exchange, close financing gaps, and anchor collaboration on energy access, climate resilience and infrastructure challenges.
India and Africa face a shared challenge: advancing the clean energy transition while managing domestic industrial priorities, concentrated global supply chains, uneven institutional capacity, and the need to build climate-resilient infrastructure, according to the agenda note. Approximately 600 million people across Africa remain off-grid, while India is working to sustain universal electricity access while decarbonising its power mix.
The event featured sessions on cross-country complementarities in clean energy, minerals and manufacturing, exploring how Africa’s mineral endowments and renewable energy potential can be aligned with India’s manufacturing capabilities. A second session focused on grid resilience and energy security, examining how India’s experience with disaster-resilient power infrastructure could inform African power sector approaches. It also discussed financing instruments to close the investment gap for disaster-resilient power infrastructure.
The convening was held as both regions prepared for the fourth India–Africa Forum Summit. A keynote address is expected from Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary (Economic Relations), Ministry of External Affairs.
