Discuss India's growing salience in the context of African affairs and development.

Growing Salience of Africa: (1) Demography → 1.4% of global population and 1.5% growth rate presents a formidable market (2) Economy → Expected to be a $5 trillion economy in the next decade (3) Rare Earths → Critical mineral supply chain crucial for energy security (4) Strategic Geography → Key for securing Indian Ocean region, Arabian Sea (5) Connectivity → Crucial for maritime sea lines of communication like Red Sea, Red-Myanmar etc. (6) Strategic Considerations → For balancing China's presence Areas of Bilateral Engagement: (1) Representation of Africa → African Union members G-20, UNSC bid for Africa by G-77 (2) Global South engagement → VoAS summit (3) Development Pacts → Asia-Africa growth pact (4) Maritime Security → MAHA-SAGAR vision (5) Digital Partnership → India-Africa digital partnership (6) Knowledge Partnership → IIT campuses in Mozambique, scholarship for students in India (7) Partnership in bodies → CDRI, ISA etc. Further cooperation in areas of climate diplomacy, capacity building are essential for ensuring India-Africa relations.

— Japleen Kaur · AIR 388