Ahead of the India-Africa Forum Summit, Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary (Economic Relations) at the Ministry of External Affairs, emphasized the need for enhanced financial collaboration with African institutions such as the African Development Bank and Afrexim Bank. He highlighted that Africa requires $155 billion annually for infrastructure investments until 2040 to sustain economic growth and improve living standards. Dalela noted India's commitment to Africa, citing the opening of 17 new missions in the past seven years and India's status as Africa's fourth-largest trading partner, with trade reaching $85 billion in 2025. Deepali Agrawal, Deputy Managing Director of India Exim Bank, pointed out that despite supporting 308 projects valued at $8.9 billion, Africa still faces a trade finance deficit of $80 billion to $120 billion annually. She also mentioned that only 40% of African businesses' financing requests are approved, underscoring the need for innovative financing solutions. Jyoti Vij, Director General of FICCI, called for urgent collaboration among financial institutions, government, and industry to create a resilient financial ecosystem.