NEW DELHI: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal emphasised that India views African nations as partners in progress and that the India-Africa collaboration will be crucial in achieving both India and Africa's objectives over the next 25 years.

As per Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, there are four crucial areas where India can be a valued partner for African countries: solar energy, infrastructure, military cooperation, and startup ecosystem.

The Union minister said while speaking at the inauguration of the 17th CII-Exim Bank conclave here, "trade between India and African nations has been fairly balanced, with exports of goods and services totaling about USD 40 billion and imports of USD 49 billion.

"It's time we also look at further deepening and strengthening the trade partnership and possibly look at giving greater trading access to both the African continent and India so that we can expand this trade in a much faster and greater way," the minister said. "India gives 27 LDCs from Africa the benefit of duty-free tariff preference.

He said India and South Africa can collaborate in various sectors to deliver cost-effective, inexpensive, and truly developed local population solutions in several areas while speaking at the conference on "India-Africa Growth Partnership - Creating Shared Futures."

He said that because both nations enjoy abundant sunlight, solar energy might be one avenue of cooperation between Africa and India. It will bring clean energy to Africa, address the continent's needs for energy security, create jobs and boost regional economic growth, he said.  "I think our military interactions in the Indian Ocean, defence commerce, and defence sector production can also result in stronger involvement between Africa and India", Goyal said.

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