New Delhi — In a speech highlighting its commitment to Africa’s development, India’s prime minister today proposed creating regional and pan-African institutions of higher education.

Speaking at the first Indo-Africa Forum Summit here, the prime minister, Manmohan Singh, said such institutions would focus on science, information technology, and vocational education. He also proposed increasing spending on research and development in agriculture and renewable energy. Mr. Singh said India would also increase its number of college and technical-training scholarships for students from Africa, from 1,100 to 1,600 each year.

While the prime minister didn’t specify how much India planned to spend on African higher education, he noted that his country would increase the money it devotes to human-resource development and capacity building in Africa through its Aid to Africa program.

The prime minister’s remarks reflected India’s growing involvement in Africa. In 2006 the country announced it would spend $1-billion to connect 53 African countries through satellite and fiber-optic networks to telemedicine and distance-education programs. A project to equip five African universities with tele-education studios and to provide course content to 53 learning centers across the continent is under way.

The moves are seen as part of India’s efforts to compete with China’s heavy spending in Africa. India has given $2-billion in grants and lines of credit to African countries over the past five years for development projects such as information-technology centers and rural electrification.

Mr. Singh said India would more than double its lines of credit to African countries and regional economic groups, to $5.4-billion.

“Both India and Africa are blessed with young populations,” Mr. Singh said. “It is only by investing in the creative energies of our youth that the potential of our partnership will be fulfilled.” —Shailaja Neelakantan