#5 Zambia
India made a strong and early impression in 2010, as a high profile January visit from Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari - slated, in part, as an effort to rectify the "deficit of visits" between the two nations - also served as a visibility opportunity for New Delhi. Aware of China's noticeable presence in the continent, India also extended a financial line of development credit to the Zambian government for future infrastructure projects. Strong private-sector investment has also aided New Delhi in Zambia, as Indian-owned mining company Vedanta has grown into the largest industry of its kind in the country. Though it's unlikely to keep pace with Beijing's development projects in Africa, India believes it can have a social impact on Africa's growth in addition to a material one. One area of focus is civil society and democracy promotion, as India has been cited as a regional role model by election officials in Zambia. Global Top 5s is a monthly feature by RealClearWorld.com powered by Gallup's worldwide research. Learn more at Gallup.com.
