The Road to Africa: Indo-Sino Perspective
VIEW EVENT DETAILSAsia has surpassed Europe as Africa’s biggest trading partner today, accounting for around 45 percent of the continent’s total trade. In particular, India and China have seen a dramatic rise in their trade with Africa since 1990s. Historically, India had an early presence in East and Southern Africa. Both Indian public and private sector companies have made significant inroads in Africa with the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s overseas division, ONGC Videsh (OVL), as one of the most active Indian companies in Africa. As of 2013, Africa accounted for 16 percent of India’s foreign direct investment (FDI) for a total of $13.6 billion. China, though a later entrant into the African market has made focused, strategic investments, with trade soaring to more than $200 billion in the past few years. China has also made investments in long term projects like infrastructure and ports in Africa. With natural resources as China and India's key interests, can African economies, still in need for economic impetus, exploit foreign investments as a stimulus for the continent’s economic and social prosperity? Join our speakers, Zheng Bin, CEO, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited India; Rajrishi Singhal, columnist, Livemint; and Rajneesh Verma, former assistant professor, Jilin University, as they discuss the intricacies of the economic relationships and how the countries stand to benefit from the alliances
Zheng Bin, CFA, is the Chief Executive Officer of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Mumbai Branch. He is also the Chairman, Mumbai Chinese Enterprises Association. Mr. Zheng joined the Mumbai Branch in October of the year 2016. Prior to joining the Branch, Zheng was appointed as General Manager of VIP Relations, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Hangzhou Branch since November 2013. Previously he started his career from Office of the Board of Directors of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China as Manager, then appointed as Senior Manager of Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations Department of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China in 2007. Subsequently from December 2010 to November 2013.
Rajrishi Singhal has been a senior journalist, banker, and a public policy analyst. He was Executive Editor at The Economic Times, Head (Policy, Research & Strategy) at a private sector bank, and Senior Geoeconomics Fellow at a Mumbai-based think tank. Rajrishi has served on two government committees appointed to re-examine policy options in areas of financial services, such as pension sector reforms. He currently writes a fortnightly column for newspaper Mint, apart from spending time on independent consultancy and policy analysis.
Rajneesh Verma is the Series Editor of Routledge Series on India-China Studies. From 2014-2016, he was Assistant Professor in International Relations at the School of International and Public Affairs at Jilin University. Recently he was Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, India. His research is focused on Indian foreign and security policy, China’s foreign and security policy, Sino-Indian-U.S. relations, international politics of the Asia-Pacific, India and China in Africa, and international relations theory. He is the author of India and China in Africa: A Comparative Perspective of the Oil Industry.