This article examines the implementation of India's South-South Cooperation (SSC) principles in the health component of one of its flagship project: the Pan-African e-Network. Data are combined from the few available studies as well as from fieldwork in Mozambique, including interviews and policy documents. After scrutinizing the capacity building approach and the conception, design and implementation phases, the conclusion drawn is that the governmental discourse does not match with practice. Despite an efficient implementation of the infrastructure, the top-down, stand-alone and one-size-fits-all approach limits the agency in and appropriation of the project by its end users as well as an effective transfer of Indian expertise to other contexts.