Divisions
Foreign Trade (Africa)
Functions of the Division

The Division deals with Sub-Saharan African Region (East, West, Central and Southern Region) comprising 48 countries. Trade promotion, policy, negotiations for FTA/PTA & other related activities, are dealt in the Division.

Officers in the Division

The Officers in Africa Division are:

Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia, IAS | Additional Secretary
  • Room No : 303, Vanijya Bhawan
  • Tel : 011-23039442
  • Email: asbhatia[at]gov[dot]in
Ms. Priya P. Nair | Economic Adviser
  • Room No : 305 Vanijya Bhawan
  • Tel : 23039556
  • Email: priyanair[dot]10[at]gov[dot]in
Ms. Parul Singh | Deputy Secretary
  • Room No : 107 Vanijya Bhawan
  • Tel : 23039660
  • Email: parul[dot]singh01[at]gov[dot]in
Ms. Aparna Srivastava | Under Secretary
  • Seat No: E-4017 Vanijya Bhawan
  • Tel : 23039717
  • Email: aparna[dot]sri[at]nic[dot]in
Smt. Asha Kiran Verma | Section Officer
  • Seat No: S-3038 Vanijya Bhawan
  • Tel : 23039941
  • Email: moc_ftaf[at]nic[dot]in
Bilateral Trade between India and Sub-Saharan Africa
Value in USD Billion
Year 2018-2019  2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 2022-2023 CAGR(5 Years)
INDIA’S EXPORT 22.65 23.55 22.93 33.08  42.85 17.27
INDIA’S IMPORT 35.4  32.15 23.89 41.77 39.27  2.62 
TOTAL TRADE 58.05 55.7 46.82 74.86 82.13 9.06
TRADE BALANCE -12.75 8.6 -0.96 -8.69  3.57

Click here for the Bilateral Trade Figures for the last two years (i.e. 2020-21 & 2021-22) in respect of 48 countries of Sub Saharan Africa region.

Trade Agreements and Negotiations
India and Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA)

The Southern African Custom Union (SACU) is the oldest Customs Union in the world established in 1910 consisting of a group 5 countries namely Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Eswatini (Swaziland) and South Africa. Five rounds of negotiations have been held so far between 2007 – 2010. A virtual Senior Official Meeting was held on 15th July 2020. Both sides agreed for early resumption of the negotiations on PTA between India and SACU. Both sides also agreed on the time lines for exchange of trade and tariff data, and submission of revised modalities for PTA negotiations. Discussions are ongoing between the two sides for re-launch of the PTA negotiations.

India and Mauritius signed the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA)

India and Mauritius signed the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) on 22nd February, 2021, which entered into force on 01 April 2021.

The CECPA is the first trade Agreement signed by India with a country in Africa. The Agreement is a limited agreement, which will cover Trade in Goods, Rules of Origin, Trade in Services, Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, Dispute Settlement, Movement of Natural Persons, Telecom, Financial services, Customs Procedures and Cooperation in other Areas.

The India-Mauritius CECPA provides for an institutional mechanism to encourage and improve trade between the two countries. The CECPA between India and Mauritius covers 310 export items for India. As regards trade in services, Indian service providers will have access to around 115 subsectors from the 11 broad service sectors.

Negotiations with regard to Chapter on General Economic Cooperation (GEC) and provisions of Automatic Trigger Safeguard Mechanism (ATSM), were completed subsequently and these provisions have been included in the India-Mauritius CECPA, and the amended agreement entered into force on 01 October, 2022.

Mandatory disclosures under RTI Act

Name, Designations and other particulars of the CPIO in respect of FT(Africa) Division may be changed under Section 4 of RTI – Act (Mandatory Disclosures):

Ms. Parul Singh  Deputy Secretary
  • Room No : 107 Vanijya Bhawan
  •  Tel : 23039660