India and the African Union's Engagement Through IAFS: Challenges of Strengthening Partnership.

This article examines the evolution and current state of India's partnership with the African Union (AU), primarily facilitated through the India–Africa Forum Summits (IAFS). While India has committed substantial financial resources and capacity-building initiatives to Africa, the implementation and disbursement of these commitments have been slow and limited, with only about 40% of lines of credit effectively utilized. Challenges include bureaucratic delays, limited political-level engagement, and difficulties in coordinating with the AU's complex institutional structure, leading India to increasingly favor bilateral partnerships with individual African countries over multilateral AU engagement. The article highlights the need for timely organization of the next IAFS, improved project delivery, regular review mechanisms, and third-party evaluations to enhance the effectiveness of India–Africa cooperation aligned with Africa's Agenda 2063 and shared development goals.