By Seli Baisie
More than 37,000 Africans have received training and education in India over the years under scholarship and capacity-building programmes funded by the Indian government, according to the Director General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), K. Nandini Singla.
She disclosed the figure while addressing journalists from Africa and Oceania during a media engagement in New Delhi on January 15, 2026, held as part of a Media Familiarisation Visit to India.
Mrs. K. Nandini Singla said the programmes reflect India’s long-standing civilisational belief in shared progress and mutual respect, rooted in the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the idea that the world is one family.
She explained that funding for scholarships and development cooperation does not come from external donors or multilateral institutions, but from Indian taxpayers.
“This is funded by the average Indian citizen,” she said. “India does not receive overseas development assistance. We stopped taking foreign aid many years ago. What we do in Africa and other developing regions is financed domestically.”
According to ICCR data, more than 200 Indian-funded infrastructure projects are currently underway across Africa, including roads, railways and dam projects, alongside extensive investments in health, education, and skills development.
The career diplomat described India and Africa as “brotherly civilisations” whose partnership has evolved through shared historical experiences and a common development journey.
Beyond education and infrastructure, Mrs. Singla also addressed cultural values and social inclusion, noting that diversity has historically been part of Indian society.
She said India is in the process of “decolonising laws, minds, and perspectives” that were shaped during colonial rule, particularly laws influenced by Victorian-era values that were not rooted in indigenous traditions.
“In Indian tradition, diversity was never alien,” she said, referring to cultural representations in film and the arts that reflect plural identities as a natural part of society.
She linked this process to Viksit Bharat, India’s long-term vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047, the centenary of its independence.
ICCR’s role
Founded in 1950, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of External Affairs and serves as India’s principal institution for cultural diplomacy.
For more than 75 years, ICCR has promoted India’s cultural heritage and people-to-people ties through scholarships, cultural exchanges, academic partnerships, and international cultural centres.
The council operates 38 Indian Cultural Centres abroad and maintains partnerships with universities, artists, and scholars worldwide. Its activities include hosting foreign cultural troupes, sponsoring Indian artists overseas, establishing ICCR Chairs for Indian Studies, and supporting global festivals, seminars, and workshops.
K. Nandini Singla said India’s engagement with Africa through education and culture is not transactional.
“We are not expecting anything in return,” she said. “If one part of the world prospers while another remains poor, it eventually affects us all.”
