At the African Development Bank meeting, India unveiled a vision statement for the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor, or AAGC, in Gujarat on May 25, 2017. The aim of the Asia-Africa growth corridor was developed in consultation with Asian and African think-tanks for Developing Countries by the Research and Information System (RIS), New Delhi, East Asia (ERIA), and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN, Tokyo’s Institute of Developing Economies (IDE-JETRO). It seeks Indo-Japanese collaboration to build high-quality infrastructure in Africa, supplemented by digital connectivity, to realise the Indo-Pacific region’s vision of freedom and openness. The AAGC will emphasise economic development in healthcare and medicine, farming and agro-processing, disaster risk management, and developing skills. A high-quality network will be installed to improve the AAGC’s connection.
The AAGC: a broad and vague concept
On May 23, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the AAGC (Asia-Africa growth corridor) at the 52nd African Growth Bank (ADB) summit in Gujarat, India, under which India and Japan would collaborate to support Africa’s development.
At the meeting, Prime Ministers Modi and Shinzo Abe agreed to improve connectivity between Asia and Africa in November 2016. They sought synergies between India’s “Act East” Policy and Japan’s “Expanded Partnership for Quality Infrastructure.” They also agreed to collaborate on developing industrial corridors and networks in Asia and Africa.
What Asia can Offer Africa Through AAGC
The corridor brings East Asian, Southeast Asian, and South Asian development experiences closer to Africa, arguing for increased economic connectedness and collaboration between the two megaregions.
It proposes a development model for Africa in which Asia—specifically India and Japan—leads regional and global attempts to improve living conditions. This allows for the pursuit of development strategies that are appropriate for and in line with the development priorities of countries in Africa, Asia, and the Asia-Pacific region.
The Asian-African corridor is moving forward:
More research will identify the demands and challenges of AAGC’s economic, sociocultural, and political partnerships. It will highlight the project’s obstacles and barriers. It will also outline the cooperative components of sustainable growth and development and the exchange of best practices. Future AAGC studies will provide suggestions to the governments of India and Japan, as well as governments in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Oceania, on how to develop this connection.
European countries’ relations
India’s personal Eurasian countries’ agenda has been quietly evolving, and it has taken a few significant efforts to establish a strong capacity connectivity link between India and Eurasia. On May 18, amid China’s move to BRI projects, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) hosted a multi-stakeholder conference to highlight a few recent surveys conducted by Indian establishments such as the Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India (FFFAI), the Ladakh International Centre (LIC), and the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA). The assembly stated how the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) project accelerated after India decided to join the global customs convention, TIR, following cabinet approval.
Conclusion
The Asia-Africa Growth Corridor is undoubtedly a project that will help integrate Africa and Asia. This program likewise recognises the inadequacies of China’s connectivity project and attempts to provide a better alternative.
 China has attempted to address most of its criticism through several programs. However, “second-round” players like India and Japan have the advantage of hindsight—the advantage of learning from China’s mistakes. It’s also worth considering whether India and Japan have any experience bringing something like this to its logical end.
In contrast to China, India and Japan have minimal expertise in creating infrastructure in foreign countries. The majority of Japan’s experience has been with official development assistance. But, for the time being, it is a step in the right direction, providing the region with a more benign alternative.