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India supplied ‘Made in India’ Covid vaccines to 42 African countries on Wednesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said. This was in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “One Earth, One Health” and the belief in “Vasudaiva Kutumbakam”. India is also encouraging Indian pharma and vaccine manufacturers to explore joint manufacturing facilities in African countries. Additionally, India has been advocating for enhancing the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in partnership with African countries in the WTO.
Jaishankar also discussed India’s initiatives in online education and medical services in Africa. Through the e-VidyaBharti and e-ArogyaBharti networks, India has provided tele-education and tele-medicine services to African countries, with over 14,000 young people enrolling in various degree and diploma programs. India has also collaborated with African countries to promote digital transformation.
Bilateral trade between India and Africa is expected to reach USD 98 billion in 2022-23, with India’s bilateral trade with Africa already reaching USD 89.6 billion in the previous year. India has opened its market to African countries through the Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) Scheme, providing duty-free access to 98.2 percent of India’s total tariff lines. Jaishankar expressed confidence that the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) would further strengthen trade relations between India and Africa.
India has been a significant investor in Africa, with cumulative investments totaling USD 73.9 billion from 1996 to 2021. Jaishankar believes that this investment will continue to increase in the future.
The future of Asia: Rebound of chaos?
The last 2 years have been tough for the world. Businesses are shutting down, constant changes have to be made, and lives have been taken away. All of those are the consequences caused by COVID-19. Specifically for Asia, is there a way for this region of the world to come back on its feet? As […]
