“>India and Argentina are entering a new phase in their bilateral relationship, one that extends well beyond traditional trade in agricultural commodities.
With bilateral commerce approaching USD 6 billion, expanding cooperation in critical minerals, energy, defence, space, nuclear technology and advanced manufacturing has become central to the strategic partnership between the two countries. As India seeks to strengthen its supply chains for critical minerals and deepen its engagement with Latin America, Argentina is positioning itself as a trusted long-term partner with significant strengths in energy resources, lithium reserves, mining and agricultural innovation.
In this conversation with Anoop Verma, His Excellency Mariano Agustín Caucino, Ambassador of Argentina to India, outlines his vision for the future of India-Argentina relations. He discusses the opportunities for expanding cooperation in energy security, lithium and other critical minerals, defence and aerospace, the modernisation of the India-Mercosur Preferential Trade Agreement, and measures to diversify bilateral trade beyond its traditional foundations.
He also shares his perspective on enhancing technology collaboration, promoting two-way investment and strengthening people-to-people ties, highlighting why the partnership between India and Argentina is poised for significant growth in the years ahead.
Edited excerpts:
India and Argentina have emerged as increasingly important strategic partners, with bilateral trade approaching USD 6 billion. How do you assess the current trajectory of the relationship, and what are your priorities for taking it to the next level?
I am convinced that India and Argentina are called to work ever more closely together in the years ahead, and our economies enjoy a high degree of complementarity. Trade reached more than $6 billion in 2025, an impressive growth of 100% in just six years. To take the relationship to the next level I would prioritize three fronts: energy, where Argentina could emerge as a reliable long-term supplier through YPF’s (Argentina’ s top oil and gas company) cooperation with ONGC, Oil India and GAIL; mining and critical minerals, where Indian companies are already investing in lithium and increasingly in copper in provinces (equivalent to Indian States) such as Catamarca; and diversifying our trade itself, building a more rich flow of goods and technology beyond the agro-industrial commodities that have long anchored the relationship.Argentina has become one of India’s important suppliers of edible oils and is now a contributor to India’s food security. How can both countries diversify economic engagement beyond agricultural commodities into higher-value sectors?
Energy and mining are the two areas where I see the greatest room to grow, and critical minerals in particular is a field where our two countries can cooperate a great deal more; but we can also add sophistication to the agro-industrial relationship itself, for example, combining Argentina’s expertise in agricultural machinery with India’s strong capabilities in agricultural drones, turning a commodity relationship into a technology partnership. Tourism is another dimension worth highlighting: we have recently introduced visa-free entry to Argentina for Indian citizens holding a valid US visa, and we hope India can consider a reciprocal arrangement, which would be beneficial for both countries.
Argentina possesses the world’s largest lithium reserves, while India is rapidly expanding its electric vehicle and battery manufacturing ecosystem. How do you see the two countries building a long-term partnership in critical minerals and clean energy?
India’s participation in Argentina’s mining sector is important to us, precisely because diversifying the range of partners investing in our critical minerals is a goal in itself; Catamarca is a good example, where KABIL has been advancing a cooperation agenda with Argentine authorities, including agreements with CAMYEN (the mining company of the Province Catamarca) and with MECL signed during Governor Raúl Jalil’s visit to India in February 2025; and where, more recently, JEMSE (the mining and energy company of the Province of Jujuy) traveled to New Delhi in February 2026 to promote further investment. I expect this trend to continue, as we are aware of additional Indian mining companies currently planning trips to Argentina to explore new investment opportunities, which responds directly to India’s need for a resilient, diversified supply chain for the critical minerals its electric-vehicle and battery industries require.
The India-Mercosur Preferential Trade Agreement has remained relatively limited in scope. Do you believe the time has come to expand or modernise the agreement, and what sectors could benefit the most?
We observe a good level of consensus among Mercosur members on the need to expand our preferential agreement, largely unchanged since it entered into force in 2004, and I believe the timing is right: India has one of the most ambitious trade-negotiating agendas of any major economy today, and the Argentine government has made the promotion of free trade and deregulation a central pillar of its economic policy. Therefore, I would not single out any one sector as the main beneficiary, since a modernised agreement covering a wider range of agro-industrial, industrial and services trade would benefit all sectors of both economies.
Defence cooperation between India and Latin American countries has been steadily expanding. Do you see potential for Argentina and India to deepen cooperation in defence technology, military training or the aerospace sector?
I would point first to the peaceful use of strategic technologies, where we already have concrete results and real room to go further: the Radioisotope Production Plant in Mumbai, built with technology from the Argentine company INVAP, is a good example, and our two countries’ nuclear regulatory authorities recently signed a memorandum of understanding that opens the door to deepening that cooperation. Aerospace is another natural field, since both India and Argentina have long-standing traditions and genuine technical experience in space activities, and we welcome the ongoing collaboration between our space agencies as a basis for identifying new joint projects.
