New Delhi, March 15 (IANS) Commerce Minister Anand Sharma Monday said India's ties with Africa were deeply entrenched in history and the bond between South Asia's economic powerhouse and the continent was 'distinct and different from any other'.

'India's engagement with Africa is distinct and different from any other country. It's a partnership, a friendship which is rooted well in history,' Sharma told reporters on the sidelines of the Africa-India Project Partnership summit.

'We are not in competition,' the minister told reporters on the margins of the summit organised jointly by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Export-Import Bank of India, with support from the ministries of external affairs and commerce.

'Africa appreciates India's multi-sectoral engagement and also its abiding commitment to capacity-building of human resource and in building institutions in Africa,' Sharma said after his speech at the the event, which has attracted over 400 political and business leaders from 34 African nations.

On the agenda of the two-day event is a discussion on Indian projects worth $9 billion in Africa.

The minister also outlined several initiatives undertaken by India to provide African nations with the necessary skill set and build infrastructure in various sectors.

'We have a very special bond with Africa. We have started a Pan-Africa E-network project that provides tele-medicine and tele-education facilities. Doctors in Africa can consult Indian medical institutions, and the same holds for universities,' he said.

'There are also more than 15,000 African students in India,' he said, adding the Indian government had also doubled the letter of credit facility to ensure that doing business in Africa becomes easier for Indian companies.