Whilst much of the academic literature focuses on how the likes of the United States, China, France and Russia have been impacting on the African security landscape, India’s own growing security footprint on the African continent, has garnered far less attention. This paper seeks to set the record straight examining India’s African security footprint from its support for UN peacekeeping operations, to joint military exercises with African militaries to the training of African militaries. Whilst commendable, these have operated within realist notions of security with it privileging the African state. However, the African state is notorious as a source of insecurity to its citizens. India’s security cooperation with African states therefore will need to embrace human security and pivot away from regime security. This implies that Indian security cooperation whilst continuing with cooperation with African security forces will need to also engage with the private sector and civil society who play key roles in securing communities and infrastructure in the face of an uncaring, and often incompetent, state security apparatus. Moreover, India’s policy makers will need to reflect on criteria for security cooperation. For instance, do they train an African military when that army stands guilty of gross human rights abuses?