6th India - Africa Entrepreneurship & Investment Summit
India Africa trade and commerce goes back to a thousand years when Indian merchants using strong and predictable monsoon winds, regularly sailed to the east coast of Africa in search of mangrove poles, elephant tusks, and gold and precious stones to sell them in the bazaars of Calicut and Surat.
During colonial times, indentured labour was brought in from India to work on the railways as well as on sugar and other plantations in Kenya, Mauritius, Madagascar and Southern Africa.
In time, Indian diaspora, with deep family roots, became a key driver of export of African commodities such as tea, coffee and cotton and the import of manufactured goods and grains such as rice, pulses and textiles.
Why India Africa Entrepreneurship Forum?
There is a growing realization that despite deep historical, commercial, and cultural ties, the entrepreneurial ecosystems between India and Africa remain to be connected in a meaningful way. Doing so presents a tremendous opportunity to harness the creative capacity of entrepreneurs in both regions to work together to solve common and pressing problems and accelerate trade and investment in the process. This is the mission of the India-Africa Entrepreneurship Forum (IAEF). Africa's fifty-four states produced a combined GDP in excess of US$3.2 trillion - almost the same as India. The economic growth of the continent that is estimated to be 3.2 percent in 2023 also houses six of the world's fastest-growing economies.
With 57,000 startups valued at $450B, India is the Third largest entrepreneurial ecosystem in the world. Over 650 African startups on the other hand, received total funding of $5.2B in 2022 (a 1700 precent increase since 2015) raising the combined valuation of about 900 startups to roughly $50B.
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This gap presents an unprecedented opportunity for Indian and African entrepreneurs to partner with each other in their co-creating, co-founding activities, providing bilateral knowledge, funding and market opportunity to its early stage enterprises, thereby strengthening existing efforts in increasing trade and development between the two economies.
Collaboration between startups and large but entrepreneurial businesses, on the other hand can increase the reach and impact of innovation, according to Accenture Africa research, which increasingly correlates with higher economic performance at enterprise and economy-wide levels. By leveraging the power of ecosystems and open innovation, African economies can accelerate progress, unlocking Africa's abundance for all.
It is in this context, India Africa Entrepreneurship Forum (IAEF), has evolved to become the go-to platform that connects entrepreneurs and investors actively involved in the India Africa corridor. These dynamic ecosystems and subsystems have much in common, and much to gain from interacting.
IAEF has 3 objectives
Build bridges between Indian and African entrepreneurs.
Organize meetings and Focus Groups to encourage entrepreneurs in both continents to explore opportunities of mutual interest.
Help forge joint ventures and business partnerships for both capital and market access.
Target Sectors & Roundtable Discussions
Indian and African ventures will dialogue across these seven sectors through panels, workshops and B2B meetings.
Healthcare, Pharma, BioTech & MedTech
AI, Digital Public Infrastructure & Digital Transformation
Travel, Hospitality & Tourism
Agritech & Biotech
Logistics, FMCG & International eCommerce
Space & Defence / DeepTech
Renewable Energy & Climate Solutions
Important Contacts
Convenor - Baljinder Sharma: [email protected]
Co-Convenor - Vuyisa Qabaka: [email protected]
Operations - Uche Elijah Okechukwu: [email protected]
Africa - Emmanuel Okorwoit: [email protected]
Programme
13th–15th July 2026 — Cape Town, South Africa
Day 1 : Monday 13th July 2026
Welcome & Pre-Summit Day · Catalysing the Corridor · Venue: Hasso Plattner d-school AFRIKA
Welcome of Delegates by Satya Narayanan R., Chairman, CL Educate
Launch of the India-Africa Human Capacity Corridor
Building India-Africa Skill Corridors That Actually Place People Into Productive Employment
Launch of Rubanomics Africa Forum
Lunch Break
Financing DeepTech for the Global South
Dr Lelemba, Savant
Co-Creating Entrepreneurial Ventures India–Africa — Panel Discussion
Rene Parker (Chair, AfriLabs) · Anirudh Damani (Founder, Artha Fund Global) · Zach George (Founder, Launch Africa Ventures) · Venessa Dewing (VP Sales, DHL Express SSA)
Presentation by T. Madhav, CEO, IITM Global
Book Launch by Kanwal Rekhi followed by Panel Discussion
The Groundbreaker: Entrepreneurship, the American Dream, and the Rise of Modern India
Moderated by Rashid Toefy, Deputy Director-General, Western Cape Government Department of Economic Development and Tourism
Book Launch by Harish Mehta followed by Panel Discussion, moderated by AJ Patel
The Maverick Effect: The Inside Story of India’s IT Revolution
Panelists: Lance Greyling (Former Member of South African Parliament & Director, Enterprise and Investment, City of Cape Town) · Sid Goel (MD, Foundever South Africa) · Busisa Moyo (Founder, Yakha Africa Zimbabwe)
Break
Keynote Speech
Followed by a Fireside Chat (TBC)
Cocktails
Day 2 : Tuesday 14th July 2026
Official Summit Inauguration · Venue: The Westin, Cape Town
Registration of Delegates
Welcome of Delegates by Sushil Jiwarajka, Chairman, Infrastructure Corporation of Africa
Address by Venessa Dewing, VP Sales, DHL Express SSA
Keynote Speech by Ethiopis Tafara, Regional Vice President, Africa — International Finance Corporation
Inaugural Address by Hon. S.P. Mashatile, MP — Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa (TBC)
Keynote Speech by Hon. Alan Richard Winde, Premier of the Western Cape, South Africa
Keynote Speech by Vimal Shah, Chairman, BIDCO East Africa
Tea Break & Networking
Session Brief and Context Setting
Panel: What Financial Architecture Does the India–Africa Corridor Actually Need?
Chele Moyo (Mauritius Commercial Bank) · Anita George (Founder, ProsperETÉ Investment Advisors) · Ethiopis Tafara (IFC) · Shyamasish Acharya (Indian EXIM Bank) · Neeraj Vij (AfDB)
Address by Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth
Panel: Africa for Africans — How to Engage with India?
Vijay Kumar (CEO, Vedanta Zinc International) · Saveer Vora (Chairman, VORA Group) · Padmaja Ruparel (CEO, IAN Group) · Nihar Patnaik (CEO, Hetero South Africa)
Moderated by Janade Du Plessis, Africa for Africans Fund
Panel: India's Strategic Interest — How to Engage with Africa
Sanjay Nekkanti (CEO, Dhruva Space) · Dr Swarup Mishra (MediHeal Group) · Satya Narayanan R. (Founder, CL Educate) · Saurav Chatterjee (CEO, CARE Ratings Africa)
Moderated by Prof. Logan Rangasamy, WITS Business School
Networking Lunch
Sectoral Roundtable Discussions & Workshops
Break
Welcome Address
Keynote Speech 1
Keynote Speech 2
Panel: AI for Impact — Pathway to Progress?
Pradeep Gupta (Chairman, CyberMedia Group) · Madan Padaki (Founder, GenAI — Cassava Technologies)
Moderated by Shubham Saraff, Founder, STAIR
India and Its Diaspora — Partners in Progress: Release of Report
Keynote Speech by Hon. Prithvirajsing Roopun, Former President, Republic of Mauritius
Remarks by Sreekumar Nair, CEO India and Asia, Indiaspora & ABC South Africa
Africa's Top 100 Entrepreneurs of Indian Origin: Release of Report
Jointly released by AJ Patel (Founder, TiE Global) & Dr Manish Shah (Chairman, Kingsway Group)
Keynote Speaker (TBD)
Vote of Thanks by Baljinder Sharma
Sega Dance, Cocktails & Gala Dinner
Day 3 : Wednesday 15th July 2026
Closing Session · Venue: Simons Restaurant, Groot Constantia
Welcome & Opening Address by Craig Lyall, Head — Fund Structuring and Solutions, Amicorp
Panel: Investment Planning — Offshore versus Onshore
Dilip Garach (Garach Corporation) · Ravi Teji (MCB) · Shainav Gupta (Amicorp)
Moderated by Sandeep Khapre, CEO, BDO East Africa
Keynote Speech
Panel: Investing in South Africa — Opportunities & Challenges
Prof. Rajen Pillay (CEO, Garuda Capital) · Gagan Gupta (Kamal Group) · Chetan Chug (Chairman, Winmart Group RDC) · Ashutosh Kumar (CEO, SBI South Africa) · Noor Kapdi (Chairman, Dentons Africa)
Moderated by Shainav Gupta, Amicorp
Wine & Lunch @ Simons Restaurant, Groot Constantia
Event Ends
Programme is indicative and may be updated. (TBC) = To Be Confirmed · (TBD) = To Be Decided
Speakers
A selection of the dignitaries, founders and investors confirmed for Cape Town 2026.
And many more leading entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers from across India, Africa and beyond.
Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Session Sponsors
In Partnership With
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