Technology and the Public Interest

opinion that the book could have been more exacting with its economic prescriptions. The recommendations – specifically motivating why India Inc should expand its footprint in Africa and how the Indian government can support Indian companies in this regard – could have been sketched out in greater detail. Additionally, recommendations for how African governments can attract more Indian companies to invest in the region would have been useful. With Africa expected to become a significant driver of global economic growth in the future, Bhatia emphasises that India needs to improve its knowledge and beef up its expertise on Africa. Furthermore, he stresses that if India considers itself to be a serious development partner for Africa, it needs to take the time and effort to understand African needs and concerns, plans, and priorities. In this regard, Bhatia suggests that the Indian government establish an ‘Africa Advisory Group’ to assist in this endeavour (p. 199). Ultimately, in taking a long-term view, the author opines that India needs to hold Africa in much higher regard. Echoing India’s External Affairs Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the author highlights that cooperation with Africa is not only about ‘historical bonds and shared struggles... it is also an aspect of strategy’ (p. 203). With this in mind, Bhatia’s main argument is that the India-Africa partnership needs to evolve to be more strategic in nature, with both parties working together to advance their interests and address some of the major social, environmental and security challenges of the 21 century.