Three days of talks with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, South Africa and others begin Tuesday -- a summit India's junior foreign minister Anand Sharma said would "define the roadmap for future engagement."

India, which has so far been frustrated in its diplomatic push to win a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, is also looking for the raw materials it needs to keep its fast-growing economy ticking over.

Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said last week that India and Africa were "ideal partners" with high growth rates and "huge potential" for the future.

The ministry said leaders expected to attend the New Delhi meeting include South African President Thabo Mbeki, DRC President Joseph Kabila and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

An unflinching supporter of the African independence struggle against colonialism, India once enjoyed close ties and wielded considerable influence with many African countries.

But analysts say India's focus on the US and Europe since launching market reforms in 1991 has eroded its support base in Africa, while countries such as China and Japan have made great inroads on the continent.

"A measure of China's influence in Africa can be gauged by its volume of trade, which has grown to 55 or 56 billion dollars annually in a short span," said a senior Indian foreign ministry official who asked not to be named.

According to industry figures, India's bilateral trade with the continent stood at 25 billion dollars in 2006-2007.

"Africa's importance for India is manifold. Africa is the largest bloc in the United Nations and support from this bloc is important if India wants a seat on the United Nations Security Council," the ministry official said.

"Also, with studies saying existing natural resources will not be enough to fulfil the appetite of the planet, India needs Africa's resources."

"Today, India is competing for influence and resources in Africa -- recognised as a continent with enormous potential -- with all the major powers including China," said independent security analyst C. Uday Bhaskar.

New Delhi has been a key provider of peacekeepers to Africa, with a sizable portion of its troops committed to UN operations on the continent.

And the country has kept up its overtures, including a meeting of Indian businessmen and delegates from 33 African nations in March, where an estimated 10 billion dollars in potential deals were discussed.

But it is now difficult for India to match China's influence on the continent, said Narendra Taneja, an energy expert with the international oil and gas newspaper Upstream.

"What we need is a dedicated Africa policy which involves business, diplomacy and public opinion," Taneja said.

"It's true that historically we know Africa much better than China. But practically, China wields more influence today than we do."

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