A panel discussion on ‘India-Latin America Trade Prospects’ was held as part of the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) International Conference at Kerala University on Friday. Latin America’.
The session saw a convergence of scholars, diplomats, and experts in the field of Indo-Latin America relations, who shared their insights on growing trade and business opportunities between the regions.
Argentinian economist Pablo Cunik opened the discussion by providing an overview of the expanding multilateral trade relations between India and Latin America. He highlighted the success of Indian companies such as Tata Motors and Mahindra in Latin American markets, particularly Brazil and Mexico.
Dr. Kunik focused on bilateral trade between India and Argentina, seeing trade reach nearly $3.2 billion in 2023. India exports pharmaceuticals, automobiles, textiles, machinery and IT services to Argentina, while Argentina sends agricultural products including soybeans and meat. of India.
K-Space Chief Executive Officer G. Levine spoke about India’s potential for cooperation with Latin American countries, particularly in space research. Highlighting the benefits of Latin America’s proximity to the Equator, Mr. Levin emphasized how the Indian Space Research Organization could extend its services to Latin America, further strengthening the region’s space capabilities.
Former diplomat R. Viswanathan, a Latin America expert and CLAS Executive Council member, also shared success stories of Indian companies in Latin America, such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Uruguay, and emphasized on increasing financial support. He noted that such partnerships represent a new paradigm of trade between India and Latin America, which will benefit both regions in several sectors, including IT, energy and manufacturing.
Godavarthy Venkata Srinivas, Additional Secretary, Latin America and Caribbean Division, Ministry of External Affairs, chaired the session.
published – December 21, 2024 at 09:19 am IST