Currently, the most comprehensive estimates of India’s development assistance are published by the government’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). India’s global development assistance through the MEA was $517.1 million in 2009. India’s regional neighbours – especially Bhutan, Afghanistan and Nepal – receive the majority of this bilateral aid. The MEA constitutes only one component of Indian aid; other key funds include Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) and Special Commonwealth Assistance for Africa (SCAAP). The Indian government introduced plans for an India International Development Cooperation Agency (IIDCA) in 2007, but these plans were formally dropped in 2010 and there is no indication that they will be revived.

In 2009, Africa (including North African and sub-Saharan countries) received $24.6 million in bilateral aid delivered through the MEA. Although the proportion of India’s bilateral aid allocated to Africa has decreased relative to global bilateral aid in recent years (from almost 9% in 2004 to 5% in 2009), the volume of aid to the continent has increased nominally, from $22.5 million in 2004 to $24.6 million in 2009. Sub-Saharan Africa also receives a substantial amount of loans from India, receiving nearly 52% of the $3.424 billion allocated by India’s Exim Bank (as of February 2011).

While India’s bilateral aid to other South Asian countries is focused mainly on infrastructure, health and education, its aid to African countries is dedicated largely to training civil servants and personnel working at state-owned enterprises.

Since the first India-Africa Summit in April 2008, India has made several development commitments to sub-Saharan Africa, including a $5.4 billion credit line, grants worth $500 million and a unilateral opening of its own economy for all exports from LDCs, of which 34 are in Africa. These commitments were set to be delivered by 2012, and a second India-Africa Summit is due to take place in May 2011. India has also said that it will increase its bilateral trade with the African continent from $40 billion in 2008/09 to $70 billion by 2015. Progress towards its targets will be publicised at the summit in May 2011.