The India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) is the official, highest institutional platform for dialogue and cooperation between the Government of India and the member states of the African Union (AU). Established in 2008, it functions as an international forum to promote South-South cooperation and strengthen the strategic partnership between the two regions.
The summit was created to build upon the historical relationship and establish a structured roadmap for engagement. The first IAFS was held from April 4–8, 2008, in New Delhi, India. It was initially intended to be held once every three years, alternately in India and Africa. The inaugural summit produced the Delhi Declaration and the India Africa Framework of Cooperation.
The mechanism works through high-level consultations and the adoption of joint declarations that outline priority areas such as economic transformation, education, health, peace, and security. A key change occurred at the Third IAFS in 2015, where India dissolved the restrictive "Banjul formula" and invited all 54 African member states of the AU, marking a significant diplomatic outreach. This summit’s declaration aligned the partnership with the AU's Agenda 2063.
The IAFS is a central component of India's engagement with the Global South and is often viewed in the context of similar platforms like the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). The partnership has recently connected to the G20, where India successfully championed the AU's permanent membership. The Fourth IAFS (IAFS-IV), initially scheduled for May 28–31, 2026, in New Delhi, was deferred due to the Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but is expected to focus on an expanded agenda including defense and digital public infrastructure.