By Tatyana Gershkovich

Deep Ties

Africa is home to 2 million Indians, 10% of India's global diaspora. In the late 19th century, many Indians arrived on the continent as indentured servants to British colonialists. They were initially hired to work on plantations and build Africa's railroads, but many eventually became part of the merchant class. In the mid 1890s the founder of modern India, Mahatma Gandhi, pictured above, even spent time in South Africa. Resentment against the prosperous Indian community occasionally led to harassment, and in 1972, Ugandan president Idi Amin, expelled 50,000 Asians from the country. In recent years, China has outpaced India in expanding its economic interests in Africa. But India is now looking to renew its relationship with the continent, allowing the private sector to lead the way.