India announced new plans concerning their collaboration with African states. The project involves the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars in different development platforms, in order to step up to their economic rival China and counter their influence in the region.

The collaboration is expected to work as an exchange between India and the interested African states, India offering its knowledge in low-cost services and industry and receiving access to the rich African natural resources and food supplies.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated that political benefits are also considered, this aid helping India for a potential seat on the United Nations Security Council. "No one understands better than India and Africa the imperative need for global institutions to reflect current realities and to build a more equitable global economy and polity," he was quoted saying by Reuters, to the assembled heads of state and ministers, among them South Africa's Thabo Mbeki.

Singh also said that India, in addition to the mentioned efforts, will more than double the line of credit for the African countries and regional economic groups from $2.15 billion in the past five years to $5.4 billion.

Even though China has the upper hand on the African two-way trades with an estimated $73 billion last year, India is looking at their $30 billion last year as being just another step in their carefully assembled economic stratagem looking to double the amount in the following years.