SADC and India: A Relationship of Mutual Respect and Trust

India has centuries’ old relations with the African continent—especially with the countries in Southern Africa—as Indian traders from the west coast of India have been doing business with coastal Africa. In this process, many have settled there for generations. Southern Africa has provided bountiful opportunities to Indians for trade and investment, cooperation in a variety of fields, ranging from agriculture, capacity building, communication, culture, defence, education, science and technology, to peopleto-people connections. All these have paid rich dividends in the form of goodwill and respect. India’s relations with the individual members of 16-strong SADC group varies, inter-alia, based on historical relations, the Indian diaspora, and security requirements.