africa-india
A Legacy of Five Summits

Five Summits. Two Continents. One Bridge.

Since 2019 the India Africa Entrepreneurship Forum has convened heads of state, cabinet ministers, principal secretaries, and the leading entrepreneurs and investors of both regions across five annual editions in Mauritius and Kenya. This page records each Summit’s government engagement, business leadership, partner ecosystem, and the concrete outcomes that have followed.

5
Summit Editions
730+
Delegates Convened
160+
Speakers & Panellists
25+
Government Dignitaries
60+
Partners & Sponsors
$5B+
Delegate Assets Represented
First Edition

2019

Connecting Indian and African Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

16–18 August 2019 Mauritius

The inaugural IAEF Summit was hosted jointly with the Economic Development Board of Mauritius. By bringing on board the Indian Angel Network (IAN), the Africa Business Angels Network (ABAN) and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) as partners — a combined community of approximately 15,000 entrepreneurs and investors — the Summit established the platform that has now run for five consecutive editions.

84
Foreign delegates
300
Local participants
$5B+
Assets represented by delegates
24
Speakers and panellists

Highlights from the Gathering

Photographs
First IAEF Summit, Mauritius
First IAEF Summit, Mauritius
First IAEF Summit, Mauritius

Address photographs and large-gathering moments from the First India Africa Entrepreneurship & Investment Summit.

Government Dignitaries

4 Listed

Hon. Mr Sudhir Sesungkur

Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance

Republic of Mauritius

H.E. Mr Tanmaya Lal

High Commissioner of India to Mauritius

Government of India

H.E. Ms Christine Umutoni

UN Resident Coordinator

United Nations · Mauritius

Mr Ken Poonoosamy

Deputy CEO, Economic Development Board

Mauritius

Eminent Business Leaders

4 Listed

Ms Padmaja Ruparel

CEO

Indian Angel Network

Mr Tomi Davies

President

African Business Angels Network

Mr Mahavir Sharma

Vice Chair

TiE Global Board of Governors

Mr Derrick Ashong

CEO & Emmy Award Winner

Amp.it

Partners, Sponsors & Allies

13 Organisations
Economic Development Board Mauritius Economic Development Board Mauritius
State Bank of Mauritius State Bank of Mauritius
AfrAsia Bank AfrAsia Bank
Dentons Dentons
Gfin Gfin
Ocorian Corporate Services Ocorian Corporate Services
ISON Group ISON Group
Frontline Strategy Funds Frontline Strategy Funds
Career Launcher Career Launcher
Mauritius Africa FinTech Hub Mauritius Africa FinTech Hub
Indian Angel Network Indian Angel Network
African Business Angels Network African Business Angels Network
TiE Global TiE Global

Breakthroughs & Outcomes

From the Summit Floor
  1. Resolution to convert the Summit into an annual platform — a commitment now sustained across five editions.
  2. Announcement of the India–Africa Opportunities Fund (US$2–5 million), Mauritius-domiciled, with contributions pledged by a major financial institution, a listed corporation and several Indian HNIs.
  3. Launch of the TiE Africa Chapter in Kenya, with satellite chapters confirmed for Mauritius and South Africa.
  4. Indian incubators, accelerators and mentors committed to launching Exchange Programmes for African entrepreneurs in Bangalore, Delhi and Hyderabad, partnering with institutions including IIT Kanpur.
  5. Mauritian service providers and regulators committed to cost-effective corporate structures purpose-built for India–Africa entrepreneurial activity.
  6. Stock Exchange of Mauritius opened dialogue on serving as a fundraising and technical-listing platform before assets move to AIM/LSE or NASDAQ.
  7. More than 25,000 applications for IAEF membership received in the months that followed.
Second Edition

2022

Connecting Indian and African Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

1–2 July 2022 Nairobi, Kenya

The first edition held on the African mainland, returning after a two-year pause during the COVID-19 crisis. Nairobi convened a focused mix of startup founders, angel and venture-capital investors, and established entrepreneurs to deepen the cross-border engagement framework set at the inaugural Summit.

162
Total delegates
51
Delegates from India
60
Delegates from Kenya
24+
Speakers and panellists

Highlights from the Gathering

Photographs
Second IAEF Summit, Nairobi, Kenya
Second IAEF Summit, Nairobi, Kenya
Second IAEF Summit, Nairobi, Kenya

Address photographs and large-gathering moments from the Second India Africa Entrepreneurship & Investment Summit.

Government Dignitaries

3 Listed

Hon. Jerome Ochieng, CBS

Principal Secretary, State Department of ICT & Innovation

Republic of Kenya

Mr Issa Soormally

Vice Chairman, Economic Development Board

Republic of Mauritius

Mr Pius Rotich

GM Investment Promotion, Kenya Investment Authority

Republic of Kenya

Eminent Business Leaders

4 Listed

Ms Padmaja Ruparel

Co-Founder

Indian Angel Network

Mr Rajat Tandon

President

Indian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association

Mr Vimal Shah

Chairman

BIDCO Group

Mr Tomi Davies

President

African Business Angels Network

Partners, Sponsors & Allies

21 Organisations
State Bank of Mauritius State Bank of Mauritius
Apex Group Apex Group
Sunibel Corporate Services Sunibel Corporate Services
Dentons Hamilton Harrison and Mathews Dentons Hamilton Harrison and Mathews
Launch Africa Ventures Launch Africa Ventures
Five35 Ventures Five35 Ventures
ISON Group ISON Group
Mauritius Africa Fund Mauritius Africa Fund
Cellulant Cellulant
Intercontinental Trust Intercontinental Trust
Velogic Kenya Velogic Kenya
Indian Angel Network Indian Angel Network
African Business Angels Network African Business Angels Network
Nairobi Angels Network Nairobi Angels Network
Hindsight Ventures Hindsight Ventures
Artha Ventures Artha Ventures
Future Females Future Females
HYBR HYBR
Kukuza PDC Kukuza PDC
TiE Global TiE Global
BDO East Africa BDO East Africa

Breakthroughs & Outcomes

From the Summit Floor
  1. Artha Ventures publicly announced its intent to invest in 100 ventures in Africa over the next ten years.
  2. Proposal tabled for an India–Africa Virtual Incubator to assist founders and investors across borders with the operational, regulatory and capital-formation steps that typically slow cross-continental ventures.
  3. Revival of the Indian incubator–accelerator–mentor consortium for Exchange Programmes for African entrepreneurs, now extended to include IIT Kanpur and ISB Hyderabad.
  4. Mauritian service providers committed to building cost-effective corporate vehicles tailored for India–Africa entrepreneurial flows.
  5. Management companies and corporate-finance firms committed to assist first-time fund managers with active fundraising, leveraging their family-office and HNI networks.
Third Edition

2023

Catalysing the India–Africa Corridor: FinTech, GreenTech, AgriTech, EdTech, Telehealth, E-Commerce and AI

20–22 July 2023 Le Méridien Hotel, Mauritius

The third edition was honoured by the keynote address of the President of Mauritius, signalling Mauritius’ positioning as a strategic bridge for India–Africa trade and investment. The Summit deepened sector specialisation with workshops examining future electronic payments, digital currencies, corporate venture capital, EdTech and Digital Public Infrastructure.

85+
International delegates
4
Sectoral workshops
7+
Technology sectors discussed
3
Days of programming

Highlights from the Gathering

Photographs
Third IAEF Summit, Le Méridien Hotel, Mauritius
Third IAEF Summit, Le Méridien Hotel, Mauritius
Third IAEF Summit, Le Méridien Hotel, Mauritius

Address photographs and large-gathering moments from the Third India Africa Entrepreneurship & Investment Summit.

Government Dignitaries

4 Listed

H.E. Mr Prithvirajsing Roopun

President — Keynote Address

Republic of Mauritius

Hon. Mahen Seeruttun

Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance

Republic of Mauritius

Mr Sudatta Mandal

Deputy Managing Director, SIDBI

Government of India

Dr Rajiv Kumar

Former Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog — Keynote Address

Government of India

Eminent Business Leaders

4 Listed

Mr Tomi Davies

President

African Business Angels Network

Mr Rajan Navani

Chairman · NASA Engineer

JetSynthesis Group · CII India@75

Prof. Anywhere Sikochi

Assistant Professor

Harvard Business School

Mr Derrick Ashong

Founder

TBTM · Emmy Award Winner

Partners, Sponsors & Allies

6 Organisations
Economic Development Board Mauritius Economic Development Board Mauritius
Indian Angel Network Indian Angel Network
African Business Angels Network African Business Angels Network
TiE Global TiE Global
Mauritius Research and Innovation Council Mauritius Research and Innovation Council
Zoho Zoho

Breakthroughs & Outcomes

From the Summit Floor
  1. Keynote presence of the President of Mauritius, formally elevating Mauritius’ role as a connector between India and Africa for accelerated trade and investment.
  2. Mauritian Startup Ecosystem Roundtable hosted by the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC), framing actionable challenges and opportunities.
  3. Workshop on Corporate Venture Capital strategies, advancing CVC adoption as a deal-flow channel for Indian and African startups.
  4. EdTech for African Development workshop examining India’s direct contribution to enhancing African education at scale.
  5. Digital Public Infrastructure for Smart Governance session — the precursor of today’s formal India-to-Africa DPI dialogue.
  6. Strategic insights from Dr Rajiv Kumar on the India–Africa investment landscape for the decade ahead.
Fourth Edition

2024

Driving Entrepreneurial Synergy and Global Opportunities

18–19 July 2024 University of Mauritius & Intercontinental Hotel, Balaclava

The fourth edition deepened the Summit’s engagement with the academic ecosystem — hosting a high-profile pitch session in which University of Mauritius students presented projects to a jury of investors from Mauritius, India and Africa. The programme spanned funding models, international networks and the role of technology as an enabler of rapid change across the corridor.

2
Days of programming
2
Host venues
30+
Speakers and panellists
6+
Panel discussions

Highlights from the Gathering

Photographs
Fourth IAEF Summit, University of Mauritius & Intercontinental Hotel, Balaclava
Fourth IAEF Summit, University of Mauritius & Intercontinental Hotel, Balaclava
Fourth IAEF Summit, University of Mauritius & Intercontinental Hotel, Balaclava

Address photographs and large-gathering moments from the Fourth India Africa Entrepreneurship & Investment Summit.

Government Dignitaries

4 Listed

Shri Suresh Prabhu

Former Minister of Railways, Civil Aviation and Commerce & Industry

Government of India

Hon. Soomilduth Bholah

Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance

Republic of Mauritius

H.E. Mrs Nandini Singla

High Commissioner of India to Mauritius

Government of India

Mr Ken Poonoosamy

CEO, Economic Development Board

Republic of Mauritius

Eminent Business Leaders

6 Listed

Mr Admassu Tadesse

President & Group MD

Trade and Development Bank

Mr Tomi Davies

Managing Director

African Business Angels Network

Mr Anirudh Damani

Managing Partner

Artha Venture Fund

Mr Manoj Kumar

Chairman & MD

EDCIL (Government of India enterprise)

Mr Jitendra Bissessur

CEO

Mauritius Investment Corporation

Ms Padmaja Ruparel

Founding Partner

IAN Fund · Indian Angel Network

Partners, Sponsors & Allies

8 Organisations
Economic Development Board Mauritius Economic Development Board Mauritius
Zoho Zoho
University of Mauritius University of Mauritius
Indian Angel Network Indian Angel Network
African Business Angels Network African Business Angels Network
TiE Global TiE Global
Launch Africa Ventures Launch Africa Ventures
BDO BDO

Breakthroughs & Outcomes

From the Summit Floor
  1. University of Mauritius students pitched ventures to a distinguished cross-border jury — the first formal academic-to-investor pipeline activated through the Summit.
  2. In-depth roundtable on assessing and internationalising the Mauritian startup ecosystem, with concrete recommendations for outbound scale.
  3. Panel discussions across “Expanding Across Borders — Leveraging International Networks” and “Funding Enterprise & Innovation Across the India Africa Corridor” produced specific follow-up commitments.
  4. “Investing for Impact: Technology as Enabler of Rapid Change” session opened sustained dialogue between impact investors and corridor entrepreneurs.
  5. Expanded engagement of Indian and African development finance institutions — including the Trade and Development Bank — bringing institutional capital firmly into the corridor conversation.
Fifth Edition

2025

Building the India–Africa Business Bridge: Challenges, Opportunities & Way Forward

17–18 July 2025 Trademark Hotel, Village Market, Nairobi

The fifth edition marked the Summit’s second appearance in Kenya and achieved an unprecedented level of governmental engagement — five Principal Secretaries of the Government of Kenya joined the programme as active panellists. Six sectoral roundtables structured the dialogue: Energy & Sustainability, AgriTech, Health & MedTech, EdTech & Skill Development, Smart Infrastructure, and Critical Minerals.

200+
Total delegates
70
Delegates from India
90
Delegates from Kenya
40+
Speakers and panellists
5
Principal Secretaries of Kenya
6
Sectoral roundtables

Highlights from the Gathering

Photographs
Fifth IAEF Summit, Trademark Hotel, Village Market, Nairobi
Fifth IAEF Summit, Trademark Hotel, Village Market, Nairobi
Fifth IAEF Summit, Trademark Hotel, Village Market, Nairobi

Address photographs and large-gathering moments from the Fifth India Africa Entrepreneurship & Investment Summit.

Government Dignitaries

7 Listed

Dr David Ndii

Chairperson, President’s Council of Economic Advisors — Keynote Address

Government of Kenya

Dr Juma Mukhwana, CBS

Principal Secretary, State Department for Industrialisation

Government of Kenya

Dr Abraham Korir Sing’Oei

Principal Secretary, State Department for Foreign Affairs

Government of Kenya

Dr Esther Thaara Muoria

Principal Secretary, State Department for TVET

Government of Kenya

Hon. Abubakar Hassan Abubakar

Principal Secretary, State Department for Investment Promotion

Government of Kenya

Mr Sushil Prasad

Deputy High Commissioner of India in Kenya

Government of India

Mr John Mwendwa

Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Investment Authority

Government of Kenya

Eminent Business Leaders

16 Listed

Mr Ravi Venkatesan

Chairman — Opening Keynote

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet

Mr Vimal Shah

Chairman — Inaugural Address

BIDCO Africa

Mr Raman Roy

Chairman

Quatrro BPO Solutions

Mr Sushil Jiwarajka

Chairman

Artheon Group & Infrastructure Corporation of Africa

Mr Busisa Moyo

CEO

United Refineries · Chairman, ZIDA

Mr Satya Narayanan R

Chairman

CL Educate Group

Mr Vipul Parekh

Co-Founder

BigBasket

Mr Pradeep Gupta

Chairman

CyberMedia Group

Dr Shreeram Iyer

Chairman

Prisma AI Corporation

Mr Tomi Davies

President

African Business Angels Network

Mr Akshay Grover

President

TiE Africa

Dr James Mworia

Group CEO

Centum Investments

Ms Anna Ekeledo

CEO

AfriLabs

Dr Tonny Omwansa

CEO

Kenya Innovation Agency

Mr Sandeep Khapre

CEO

BDO East Africa

Mr Shailendra Kumar

Co-Founder

Narnolia Group

Partners, Sponsors & Allies

14 Organisations
Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest) Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest)
India Kenya Business Council India Kenya Business Council
TiE Africa TiE Africa
Narnolia Financial Advisors Narnolia Financial Advisors
Amicorp Group Amicorp Group
Mauritius Commercial Bank Mauritius Commercial Bank
Prisma AI Corporation Prisma AI Corporation
CL Educate CL Educate
Indian Angel Network Indian Angel Network
African Business Angels Network African Business Angels Network
AfriLabs AfriLabs
BDO East Africa BDO East Africa
Critical Minerals Association Critical Minerals Association
Launch Africa Ventures Launch Africa Ventures

Breakthroughs & Outcomes

From the Summit Floor
  1. Five Principal Secretaries of the Government of Kenya took part as active panellists — an unprecedented level of governmental engagement in the Summit series.
  2. KenInvest committed concrete investment-promotion initiatives, brokering introductions between Indian investors and Kenyan opportunities across multiple sectors.
  3. Each of the six sectoral roundtables produced an actionable set of follow-up recommendations with named owners committing to inter-summit engagement.
  4. Preliminary co-investment frameworks tabled between Indian and African funds — several investors signalled clear intent to deploy capital into East Africa.
  5. Multiple Indian technology companies indicated establishing operations in Kenya and East Africa, particularly in AI, EdTech and HealthTech.
  6. Following Raman Roy’s keynote on India’s outsourcing journey, formal discussions began on establishing India-backed BPO operations in Kenya serving global markets.
  7. Indian educational institutions committed to collaboration with Kenyan counterparts on skills development programmes, particularly in technical and vocational education.
  8. The Summit received extensive coverage in Indian and Kenyan media, materially raising the profile of the India–Africa corridor as a credible investment destination.
The Next Chapter

6th IAEF Summit · Cape Town, 13–15 July 2026

The Sixth India Africa Entrepreneurship & Investment Summit will be held at The Westin, Cape Town, anchoring the platform in Southern Africa for the first time. The programme convenes heads of state, ministers, principal investors and the architects of the next decade of India–Africa economic partnership.

Visit the 6th Summit Page Apply to Participate

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