India–Africa Relations: Changing Horizons

Rajiv Bhatia, India–Africa Relations: Changing Horizons, New York, Routledge, 2023, 244 pp., $52.95 (paperback), ISBN 9781032076720

The book explores India-Africa foreign relations largely from an Indian perspective. Rajiv Bhatia, a former Indian diplomat who served in Africa, synthesizes government speeches, press and secondary sources to explore the history of the India-Africa relationship and assess its future trajectory. There is no overall argument in the book, rather it seeks to highlight bilateral and multi-lateral cultural, economic, political, and social aspects of the relationship and makes recommendations for India to improve its foreign relations with the continent. The book includes a Foreword by Krishnan Srinivasan, former Foreign Secretary, which lauds the book and India’s historical ties and assistance to Africa. Noting the importance of personal experience, Bhatia’s Preface discusses his work as a diplomat in Kenya, South Africa and then Lesotho, where it was his ‘privilege to promote the cause of closer India-Africa cooperation’ (p. xiii). He also briefly summarizes the chapters, but does not discuss methodology, sources or situate the book in the broader scholarship.