DAC webinar: Indian firms in Africa – why are they so much less visible than Chinese investors?
Over the last three decades, Chinese investment, both public and private, has visibly reshaped the African economic landscape. China is now a more significant investor on the continent than the US or former colonial powers.
But what about India?
India, another rising Asian power with deep historical, cultural, and political ties to Africa, remains far less prominent. Why is this the case, and what are the long-term implications?
Join us for a timely conversation as our panel of experts unpacks the complex dynamics behind India’s quieter presence on the continent, the opportunities that may be hiding in plain sight, and what the future could hold for India-Africa engagement.
Host:
Professor Rajneesh Narula (OBE)
Chair of the Dunning Africa Centre and Professor of International Business Regulation at Henley Business School.
Meet the Panel
Dr Roger Fon
Assistant Professor of International Business at Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University, and visiting lecturer at the London School of Economics (LSE). Dr Fon’s research focuses on the internationalisation of multinational enterprises from emerging economies, foreign direct investment and host-country institutional change, the non-market strategies of multinational enterprises, and the institutional and strategic motivations of multinational enterprises’ investments in Africa. His work has been published in the Journal of International Business Policy, International Business Review, and Thunderbird International Business Review.
Ramesh Moochikal
The CEO of Africa Improved Foods BV, based in Kigali, Rwanda. Mr Moochikal is a seasoned global leader with over 30 years of expertise in financial and operational leadership, specialising in the agri and food sectors across developing and frontier markets. He brings extensive experience in nutrition, manufacturing, and regional development in Africa and is renowned for his thought leadership in Africa.
Professor Biswajit Nag
Professor of Economics and Head of the Executive Management Programme Division at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in New Delhi. Professor Nag has been involved in empirical economic research for more than 25 years. He has teaching experience in India, Italy, Estonia, Tanzania, Ukraine, Germany, Japan, and Australia and is currently one of the advisers on the global value chain at Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network and an advisory board member of UN-ESCAP’s e-learning courses on trade and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Terry Wyer
The Managing Director of ESI Capital, with extensive experience in emerging markets and Africa-Asia investment flows. Mr Wyer has more than 25 years of experience in fund management, investment structuring, capital mobilisation, and trade policy across global markets. His work has centred on unlocking finance for high-impact sectors – including agriculture, health, water, and small and medium-sized enterprise development – while also advising governments and donors on trade-related regulatory reforms, regional integration strategies, and private-sector competitiveness.
Event Details
Date: Thursday, 5 June 2025
Time: 17:30-19:00PM (SAST)
10:30 in New York
15:30 in Accra
16:30 in Lagos and London
17:30 in Johannesburg
18:30 in Nairobi
19:30 in Dubai
21:00 in Delhi
23:30 in Hong Kong and Singapore
02:30 (6 June) in Sydney
Location: Online via Zoom