29th September – 03rd October 2025, Cape Town, South Africa
The Global Trade & Technology Council of India (GTTCI) marked a significant milestone in strengthening India–Africa cooperation as Dr. Rashmi Saluja, Chairperson – GTTCI, participated as a Special Delegate from India at Africa Energy Week (AEW) 2025, held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The summit concluded after five days of intensive deliberations, large-scale business engagements and visible climate demonstrations, all converging toward the pressing question of who will shape Africa’s energy future and under what terms. With nearly 7,000 delegates and project opportunities valued at USD 13.4 billion showcased in Premier Invest’s Deal Room, AEW 2025 reflected the continent’s dual pursuit of hydrocarbon expansion and renewable energy advancement, while climate activists, including Greenpeace, staged vocal protests demanding greater responsibility from global oil and gas majors.
GTTCI’s Presence: Strengthening India–Africa Energy Engagement
Representing India’s commitment to deepening its engagement with Africa’s evolving energy ecosystem, Dr. Rashmi Saluja held significant meetings and participated in high-level discussions throughout the summit. Her engagements emphasised India’s potential to contribute meaningfully to Africa’s clean energy transition, hydrocarbon development, and emerging collaborative avenues in non-defence nuclear energy. As thousands of stakeholders from across the globe gathered to shape the future energy map of the continent, GTTCI’s presence reaffirmed India’s growing role as a dependable partner in Africa’s long-term energy strategy.
Strategic Meeting with Africa Energy Chamber
During AEW 2025, Dr. Saluja held an extensive interaction with Mr. NJ Ayuk, Chairman of the Africa Energy Chamber, where both leaders exchanged insights on Africa’s long-term energy roadmap and the importance of strengthening India–Africa cooperation. They discussed India’s strategic participation in clean energy expansion, the scope for introducing non-defence nuclear technologies to support Africa’s future power needs, and the mutual priorities that could shape coordinated engagement between GTTCI and the Africa Energy Chamber in upcoming editions of the summit. The meeting underscored the enormous potential for collaborative innovation, investment and institutional partnership.
Engagement with City Leadership in Cape Town
Dr. Saluja also met Mr. Alderman JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security for the City of Cape Town, where discussions centred on understanding the city’s governance model, its approach to public safety, and the growing relevance of technology-driven systems in building resilient cities. The meeting opened avenues for cooperation in areas such as smart-city solutions, emergency response mechanisms, public safety technology and integrated urban resilience frameworks—domains where India’s expertise can contribute substantially to South Africa’s urban development goals.
Exploration of Technology & Collaboration Proposals
Throughout the five-day summit, Dr. Saluja engaged with global innovators, energy companies, technology experts, investment institutions and policymakers. Her interactions included exploratory discussions on renewable energy technologies suited for African markets, new-age solutions for grid stability and storage, emerging opportunities in green hydrogen, collaborative possibilities in non-defence nuclear energy, and pathways to foster deeper startup-level exchanges between India and Africa. These engagements reflected GTTCI’s ongoing commitment to promoting knowledge exchange, advancing technology-driven growth and building bridges between international stakeholders.
Post-Event Diplomatic Briefing in New DelhiFollowing her return to India, Dr. Rashmi Saluja, along with Dr. Gaurav Gupta, Founder President – GTTCI, held an important review meeting with H.E. Prof. Anil Sooklal, High Commissioner of South Africa to India. During this meeting, they provided a detailed briefing on the outcomes of Africa Energy Week and discussed South Africa’s emerging priorities within the broader continental energy agenda. The conversation focused on evaluating the collaborative opportunities identified at the summit and designing a structured multi-stage action plan to advance India–Africa cooperation in energy and technology. The discussion reaffirmed GTTCI’s belief in building lasting, impactful and forward-looking partnerships.
