Amid the ongoing crisis in West Asia, representatives from India and Central America have emphasised the potential for stronger economic engagement, investment, and technology collaboration, citing opportunities across pharmaceuticals, energy, infrastructure, and technology sectors.
Neena Malhotra, Secretary (South), Ministry of External Affairs, noted that deepening institutional and commercial linkages was essential to unlocking bilateral growth. “Strengthening institutional and commercial linkages is critical to unlocking the full potential of India–Central America cooperation,” she said, stressing the need for coordinated government and industry action.
Juan Carlos Marsan Aguilera, Ambassador of Cuba to India, highlighted Cuba’s investor-friendly policies, pointing to extensive trade agreements and opportunities in pharmaceuticals and healthcare for Indian businesses. He underlined Cuba’s readiness to attract technology and knowledge-based investments.
Francisco Manuel Compres Hernandez, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to India, identified tourism, renewable energy, and pharmaceuticals as high-growth sectors. He described the Dominican economy as rapidly expanding and receptive to foreign investment, with particular scope for technology-enabled solutions.
Guillermo Rubio Funes, Ambassador of El Salvador to India, discussed avenues for trade and investment in energy, pharmaceuticals, and technology sectors, noting the country’s strategic focus on modernising its industrial and healthcare capabilities.
Omar Lisandro Castaneda Solares, Ambassador of Guatemala to India, highlighted Guatemala’s diversified economy and potential for Indian engagement in trade, agribusiness, and pharmaceuticals. He encouraged Indian firms to explore long-term partnerships to leverage complementary strengths.
Jason Keats Hall, High Commissioner of Jamaica in India, emphasised opportunities in technology, particularly Unified Payments Interface (UPI), renewable energy, and pharmaceuticals. He highlighted Jamaica’s intent to expand digital finance solutions and industrial collaboration with Indian partners.
Alonso Correa Miguel, Ambassador of Panama to India, outlined opportunities in pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, maritime services, and technology, noting that Panama’s regulatory and investment framework was designed to attract cross-border collaborations.
Claudia Keller Lapayre, Chargé d’Affaires of Mexico to India, observed that India–Mexico trade, historically focused on oil, was diversifying. She identified the automotive and pharmaceutical sectors as emerging areas for bilateral collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Sunaina P.R. Mohan, Chargé d’Affaires of Suriname to India, highlighted the country’s interest in exports across energy, mining, agribusiness, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, IT, and infrastructure. She also stressed Suriname’s potential in offshore petrochemical exploration in partnership with Indian firms, signalling a strategic shift toward industrial collaboration.
Nishant Berlia, Chair, International Affairs Committee for Americas, PHDCCI, encouraged Indian industry to pursue cross-regional partnerships and explore untapped markets in Central America, emphasising long-term investment strategies rather than transactional engagements.
Ranjeet Mehta, CEO and Secretary General, PHDCCI, underscored the role of expert insights in shaping actionable trade and investment opportunities. He highlighted that India–Central America economic engagement could be strengthened through sector-specific collaborations, joint ventures, and technology exchange.
Experts collectively stressed that pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, technology, and infrastructure presented the most immediate opportunities, and that translating diplomatic goodwill into commercial outcomes required targeted, expert-led strategies. Coordination between policymakers and industry leaders was identified as key to creating sustainable, mutually beneficial economic partnerships.
The discussions highlighted that India and Central America are natural economic partners, with complementary strengths that could drive investment flows, technology adoption, and industrial growth in both regions. |
