Optimism abounds for the India-SACU Free Trade Agreement, as articulated by South African High Commissioner Anil Sooklal in New Delhi. This trailblazing deal with the customs union of Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa promises exponential growth in commerce and investments.
‘Talks are set to accelerate,’ the professor affirmed. Anchored by $20 billion in bilateral trade—India’s top with Africa and South Africa’s fourth overall, at 20% of the total—relations are primed for expansion.
The CII India-Africa Conclave spotlighted progress, with Minister Parks Tau’s bilateral with Piyush Goyal charting paths to enhanced partnerships.
India’s stewardship of Global South interests is exemplary. G20 2023 under Modi integrated the African Union fully, a feat celebrated widely. The Voice of Global South platform spotlights developmental imperatives, driving inclusive global architecture.
IBSA fuels governance evolution, with its Johannesburg G20 sidebar summit—Lula, Modi, Ramaphosa—eyeing AI and institutional reforms in WTO, IMF, and UN.
U.S. absence from G20 Johannesburg was regrettable but inconsequential: ‘Consensus among attendees forged a forward-looking communique,’ Sooklal observed, underscoring cooperation’s primacy.
New Delhi’s tariff stance radiates resilience, fortifying global peers. India’s AI Summit collaboration with France positions emerging powers as AI trailblazers, gearing up for governance gains amid tech’s dual edges.