India and the African Union are resuming talks to schedule the fourth India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-4), delayed since its originally planned 2023 date. The summit framework covers trade, development cooperation, and geopolitical alignment. India-Africa bilateral trade stood at approximately $98 billion in 2022-23. Africa's inclusion in the G20 as the African Union — backed by India during its G20 Presidency — added new diplomatic weight. IAFS-4 will address food security, digital infrastructure, and South-South cooperation priorities.

The India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) is India's primary multilateral engagement platform with the African continent. Launched in 2008, IAFS has held three editions: IAFS-1 (New Delhi, 2008), IAFS-2 (Addis Ababa, 2011), and IAFS-3 (New Delhi, 2015), the last of which was the largest African diplomatic gathering on Indian soil with 54 nations and 41 heads of state attending. IAFS-3 committed $600 million in grant assistance and $10 billion in concessional Lines of Credit over five years.

The African Union (AU), established in 2002 replacing the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, est. 1963), now has 55 member states. India's diplomatic push to include the AU as a permanent G20 member during the 2023 New Delhi Summit was a landmark move, elevating the AU from observer to full member — comparable to the EU's position in the G20.

For NABARD aspirants, Africa's importance in India's food security diplomacy is critical: fertiliser imports, pulses, and agricultural inputs tie Indian farm economics to African supply chains. For RBI aspirants, the Rupee Trade Settlement mechanism and India's push to use UPI in African nations are financial architecture questions. IAFS-4 is expected to deepen Lines of Credit, digital public infrastructure exports, and defence cooperation — all exam-testable outcome categories.