India's diplomatic and economic ties with Africa are set for a surge at a three-day conclave starting March 14 in New Delhi in which ministers, business people and experts from 34 African countries will discuss business projects worth $9 billion.

The conclave will also lay out a roadmap for the second edition of the India-Africa Forum Summit to be held next year. India hosted the first summit in New Delhi in 2008.

External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna will inaugurate the conference that seeks to give a fresh momentum to India's multifaceted engagement with the African continent.

The three-day interactive conference will discuss 145 projects worth $9 billion, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said here Tuesday.

The meet will kick off with a CEOs' roundtable which will put forth an action plan to scale up bilateral trade to $70 billion in the next five years.

Ghana's vice-president John Dramani Mahama will be the guest of honour at the conclave.

The sixth India-Africa Project Partnership conclave has been jointly organised by the commerce and external affairs ministries, the EXIM bank and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

The conclave will revolve around four linked sub-themes: India-Africa partnership, Rural economies, Africa tomorrow and Going Green.

The meet will provide a platform for Indian and African leaders to intensify their bilateral and regional partnerships, scale up Indian participation in Indian participation in Africa's long-term development projects, enhance capacity building initiatives and resource mobilization programmes.