(a) the details of countries where India is providing assistance and investing in projects at present;
(b) the number of projects along with the details of the amount likely to be invested in these projects during the next five years and the names of countries where these projects are ongoing; and
(c) whether China is ahead of India in providing assistance and if so, the details of the countries where China has provided assistance?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]
(a) & (b) Development partnership is a key instrument in India''s foreign policy. The scope and reach of India’s development assistance has seen considerable expansion in the past few years. The development projects being undertaken cover a wide range of sectors. The focus of development assistance has been the countries in India’s neighbourhood and in Africa, though India is also expanding its development assistance reach to South East Asia, East and Central Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, Pacific Island Countries, etc.
Grant assistance projects are concentrated primarily in India’s neighbourhood in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar and Sri Lanka and in some African countries. Many of these are on-going. Lines of Credit (LOCs) on concessional terms and form an important component of India’s development cooperation policy in Africa, Asia and Latin America.The engagement with African countries through various development partnership initiatives has witnessed a marked increase in the last decade, especially after India-Africa Forum Summit III in 2015.
Consequently, apart from various types of assistance, the projects are also of varying duration with fund requirements being assessed before each financial year based on progress in execution aligned with individual project implementation cycles.
(c) Government is aware that China is providing assistance and undertaking projects for development of infrastructure facilities in various countries, including under its ‘Belt and Road Initiative’. However, India’s relations with other countries stand on their own footing and are independent of the relations of those countries with third countries, including China.
*****