Chisom Ubabukoh, Ph.D

CSEP recently hosted its 41st Foreign Policy Security Studies private research seminar as part of the “Tiffin Talk” series with @Chylo360 (@JindalGlobalUNI). Titled “What Actually Drives India–Africa Trade? The Role of Institutions”, this session examined the factors shaping one of the fastest-growing economic partnerships in the Global South. Using a gravity model of trade, the research found that while traditional determinants such as GDP, population & distance remain significant, institutional quality also plays a crucial role in terms of regulation & corruption. The session highlighted how improving trade infrastructure, simplifying regulations, & strengthening institutions will be central to unlocking the full potential of India–Africa economic relations. The presentation also sparked  a discussion on how currency volatility and geopolitics shape India-Africa trade, with participants also engaging on the study's methodology & data sources. @BeriRuchita (@vifindia) & @PrernaPrabhaka3 (CSEP) were the discussants for this session, while the talk was moderated by @vedavn (Fellow, CSEP). Curated by @ConstantinoX & Amb. @ShivshankaMenon, this closed‑door Tiffin Talk series distils fresh, evidence‑based insights to bridge Delhi’s scholar‑practitioner divide.

Technology is becoming a key anchor of India-Africa cooperation & development. At “What’s Next for India–Africa Relations?”, the panel “Critical Technologies in a Contested World,” focused on how India & Africa can work together across digital public infrastructure, clean energy, critical minerals, agricultural innovation & technology safeguards. Bringing the critical African perspective, @Chylo360, Professor, @JindalGlobalUNI noted, that "with minerals, the rest of the world has often approached Africa to come in and extract.” India’s opportunity is to help change that model through deeper co-development and implementation. That shift depends first on energy. @Ashish_Khanna, Director General, @isolaralliance put it clearly: “Energy is the binding constraint for growth in Africa. You cannot have digitisation, health, growth without energy.” It also means moving beyond extraction. Rajat Verma, Founder and CEO, @lohum argued that “India needs to bring its refining and processing capabilities to Africa, not just because it is rule mandated, but in the true spirit of partnership.” On digital public infrastructure, Sanjay Jain, Director of Digital Public Infrastructure, @gatesfoundation stressed adaptation over replication: “The principles of DPI need to be taken from India and then localised.” But scale must come with safeguards. As Raja Rajeshwari Chandrasekharan, DPI Safeguards Advisor, @UNDP cautioned, “DPI is one of the best exports that India has created. But when DPI is poorly designed and deployed, it can run into many risks like cyber security, vendor lock-ins, exclusionary risks & capacity issues.” Together, the discussion underscored a sharper proposition: the next phase of India–Africa technology cooperation must connect energy access, digital systems, critical minerals, local value creation & risk mitigation. CSEP’s Africa hub, TARA, is focused precisely on this intersection: bringing together policy research, industry insight, multilateral experience & development practice to identify how cooperation can move from ambition to delivery. @vedavn

What are the factors driving #Africa’s rapid #economic growth and upward trajectory? Can #African people, elites and institutions come together to end long-running #wars in some parts of the continent? How successful is the project of unifying Africa’s countries and peoples into a single whole? What is #India’s role in supporting Africa’s ascent as a powerful and prosperous continent? For answers, watch Episode 98 of my TV show on #Doordarshan, featuring analysis by two scholars from #Nigeria- Dr. Rita Lorbo of @JSIAJindal and Dr. Chisom Ubabukoh (@Chylo360) of @JindalGLS. VIEW HERE ➡️ youtu.be/RgxbhVdToOs?si=Y4Ua…