“Don’t forget that Indians have always had a significant and deeper presence in Africa than the Chinese.”
They’ve been purged from some of the former British colonies when they attained independence; Uganda & Kenya felt they had no use for them. Also, they weren’t serving as representatives of India itself.
True also that they were/are not representatives of India itself, but they serve as the initial persons for Indian companies to set up shop here. It would be far more permanent than the Chinese attempts.