Simona Vittorini

Taking ‘development cooperation’ and South–South discourse seriously: Indian claims and Ghanaian responses

ABSTRACT Indian interaction with the global South is at a crossroads. For a long time wedded to Nehruvian values of South–South cooperation, there are now considerable claims that economics underpins relations. This article looks at the current Indian ‘development cooperation’ in Ghana and, crucially, also asks what form Ghanaian responses take. The article concludes that while the rhetoric and ideas behind South–South cooperation are toned down, it is not simply about national interests; rather Indian ‘development cooperation’ is still partly ideologically and normatively informed. In addition, the overall approach of the Indian government is worthy of consideration as it certainly adds to global re-conceptualisations of development assistance.

What Does ‘Development Cooperation’ Mean? Perceptions from India and Africa

The aim of this chapter is, like the other chapters of this book, to explore perspectives of India, this time from the African angle. However, somewhat differently from the other chapters, we must first look at Indian intentions and perspectives concerning our focus, ‘development cooperation’, in order then to investigate the mirror perspective in Africa.