India-Africa Trade Council

What India-Africa Trade Council does

India-Africa Trade Council (IATC) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2020 and headquartered in New Delhi that facilitates bilateral trade, investment, and business networking between Indian companies and African counterparts across all 54 African Union member nations. The organization operates through an event-driven go-to-market model, organizing trade conferences, summits, round table meetings, and B2B forums that bring together Indian businesses, African government entities, diplomats, and chambers of commerce. Its core offerings include trade facilitation services, a business networking platform, investment opportunity services, country-specific trade desks (notably a Ghana Trade Desk supporting ECOWAS market entry), and sector-specific conferences such as the India Africa Health Conference.

IATC generates revenue through membership fees, event registration, and trade facilitation services, with no publicly disclosed pricing. The organization maintains physical presence in New Delhi (headquarters), Ghana, and Chennai, and has engaged with counterparts in at least 12 African countries including Namibia, Botswana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Algeria, Zambia, Rwanda, Malawi, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. Strategic partnerships underpin its operating model, notably with the Indian Economic Trade Organization (IETO), the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the India Africa Union Medical Commission. Leadership comprises Chairman Varun Jain, Director of Infrastructure Ashish Srivastava, and Trade Commissioner Dr. J Shrenik Nahar.

The organization does not operate a technology platform in the traditional sense — its competitive position rests on diplomatic access, institutional relationships, and event orchestration rather than proprietary software or data infrastructure. No AI, API, or app-based capabilities are documented, and the team size of 1-10 employees indicates a lean operation reliant on partnership networks rather than internal product development.

Name

India-Africa Trade Council

Legal name

India Africa Trade Council

Website

https://indafrica.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

India-Africa Trade Council (IATC) is a nonprofit founded in 2020 in New Delhi that facilitates trade, investment, and business networking between Indian companies and African counterparts across 54 AU nations through conferences, trade desks, and diplomatic partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangalore

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Trade Facilitation Services: The organization engages businesses in India and Africa offering trade data, business introductions, networking opportunities, education, investment opportunities, documentation, and trade license services. Revenue appears to be generated through membership fees, event registration, and facilitation services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

India Africa Trade Council (IATC) is a nonprofit trade facilitation organization that connects Indian businesses with counterparts across African Union member nations. It provides industry-specific trade data, business introductions, networking opportunities, investment facilitation, documentation support, and trade license assistance, delivered through trade conferences, summits, round table meetings, and country-specific trade desks such as the Ghana Trade Desk.

Product overview

India Africa Trade Council (IATC) is a trade facilitation organization that operates as a single unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core portfolio consists of trade facilitation services, business networking platforms, investment opportunity services, country-specific trade desks (such as the Ghana Trade Desk for ECOWAS region support), and sector-specific conferences (including health, OIC trade, SADC trade forums). The organization connects businesses across India and 54 African countries through trade data, business introductions, networking events, and documentation support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trade Facilitation Services Provides industry-specific trade data, business introductions, networking opportunities, and documentation services to facilitate trade between India and African countries. Aimed at Indian and African businesses seeking cross-border trade support.
• Business Networking Platform Organizes conferences, trade forums, and round table meetings connecting Indian businesses with African counterparts across various sectors. Aimed at enterprises and government entities seeking bilateral partnerships.
• Investment Opportunity Services Facilitates investment opportunities and provides guidance on trade licenses and documentation for businesses looking to expand between India and Africa. Aimed at Indian companies and African partners pursuing cross-border investment.
• Country-Specific Trade Desks Establishes dedicated trade desks in specific African countries (e.g., Ghana Trade Desk) to support Indian companies entering regional markets like the ECOWAS region. Aimed at Indian exporters and investors seeking in-country representation and facilitation.
• Sector-Specific Conferences Organizes thematic conferences such as the India Africa Health Conference covering healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and medical collaboration between the two regions, alongside SADC and OIC trade conferences. Aimed at sector-specific businesses, ministries, and professional bodies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Organized summits with 100+ company participants and engagement with 43+ countries
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• African Union Development Agency (AUDA/NEPAD)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2024AUDA-NEPAD collaborated with IATC for the 10th Edition of the Africa-Arab Investment and Trade Forum held in Algiers, Algeria in May 2024.
• African Business AssociationsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 5 May 2024Various African business associations, private sector organizations, chambers of commerce, business councils, and SME representatives participated in IATC-organized forums.
• India Africa Union Medical CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Collaborated on the India Africa Health Conference 2023, focusing on Capacity Building, Research and Development, Pharmaceutical Industry, and Humanitarian Initiatives.
• Indian Economic Trade OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2021The Indian Economic Trade Organization (IETO) jointly with IATC organized the AfCTA-India Economic Dialogue and various trade conferences. IATC Chairman Varun Jain works closely with IETO President Dr. Asif Iqbal on India-Africa trade initiatives.
• India-Namibia Chamber Of Commerce & Industry (INCCI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndia-Namibia Trade Forum, represented by Shri Asif Iqbal (Indian Economic Trade Organization), entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with INCCI for cooperation between the two chambers of commerce in furthering business ties between India and Namibia.
• African Union / African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIATC collaborates with African Union and AfCFTA for organizing trade dialogues and conferences focused on the African Continental Free Trade Area, with participation from AfCFTA Secretary General H.E Wamkele Mene.
• High Commission of India in NamibiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe High Commission of India facilitated interactions between Indian business delegations and Namibian companies, hosted B2B meetings, and organized visits to investment promotion boards and chambers of commerce.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Indian Economic Trade Organization (IETO): IETO is IATC's most direct operational peer and co-convener: the two organizations jointly run the AfCTA-India Economic Dialogue and multiple trade conferences, with overlapping leadership (Dr. Asif Iqbal / IETO works closely with IATC Chairman Varun Jain). Same mission, same geographies, same event-driven model.
• Corporate Council on Africa (CCA): Washington-based bilateral business association advancing US-Africa trade and investment — the same bilateral-convener model as IATC, but for US-Africa flows. Highly comparable structure, services, and GTM.

Broad incumbents

• Confederation of Indian Industry (CII): CII runs dedicated Africa-focused committees and trade missions connecting Indian industry with African counterparts. It is a broader incumbent with greater institutional reach, brand recognition, and member base than IATC.
• FICCI: One of India's largest industry chambers with active India-Africa bilateral committees, B2B delegations, and summit programs. Functionally comparable to IATC at significantly larger scale and longer history.
• Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO): India's apex export promotion body, set up by the Ministry of Commerce. FIEO runs India-Africa trade facilitation with a much larger permanent staff, government mandate, and budget — a direct functional substitute for IATC's offering but at national scale.
• India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO): Government of India body responsible for trade promotion including overseas exhibitions and India-Africa buyer-seller meets. Direct functional overlap with IATC's convening business, with sovereign backing and infrastructure.

Others

• EXIM Bank of India: India's official export-import bank financing India-Africa project exports and lines of credit to African governments. Comparable in its India-Africa economic-diplomacy role but as a financier rather than a convener; partnership potential for IATC's investment-facilitation mandates.
• AfCFTA Secretariat: The African Continental Free Trade Area's governing body, with which IATC partners for trade dialogues. Not a competitor but the institutional counterparty whose adoption cycle directly drives IATC's addressable opportunity.

Regional players

• UK-Africa Trade Council: Bilateral trade facilitation body between UK businesses and African counterparties. Same structural role as IATC but anchored to a different home market, making it a strong cross-regional reference point for the model.

Emerging players

• India Global Forum: UK-based platform convening Indian business and political leaders globally, including Africa-focused editions. Comparable in its event-driven, networking-led model for India-outward trade and investment dialogues.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ind_africa
• Facebookfacebook.com/AfricainIndia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/india-africa-trade-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about India-Africa Trade Council