How has India's engagement with Latin America changed in the last decade? Assess with examples.

Over the last decade, India's ties with Latin America have changed. They used to rest on distant goodwill and occasional summits. Now they rest on partnerships in critical minerals, energy, defence and technology. Argentina, raised to a Strategic Partnership in February 2019 [1], shows how far this shift has gone and where it stops.

Nature of the change

• Political momentum: The PM's July 2025 visit was the first bilateral PM visit to Argentina in 57 years [2]. Dormant forums have restarted: the Joint Trade Committee met in 2020 after 29 years [1].
• Critical minerals: In January 2024, KABIL leased five lithium blocks in Catamarca. This was India's first acquisition of lithium resources abroad [1] and links India's clean-energy transition to the Lithium Triangle.
• Energy and nuclear: OVL signed an oil and gas agreement with YPF (2023). India's Heavy Water Board agreed to supply heavy water to Argentina's state nuclear company (2024) [1].
• Defence diplomacy: The first-ever commercial defence agreement came in 2023: HAL helicopter spares and engine maintenance for the Argentine Air Force. Other links include a HAL–FAdeA pact, joint Army climbs of Aconcagua and Mt Kun (2025), and a polar ice navigation course for an Indian Navy officer on board ARA Irizar [1].
• Development and digital: India offers 40 ITEC slots a year and set up an IT Centre of Excellence in Buenos Aires (2023) [1]. The leaders also named DPI, UPI, space and pharma as areas for cooperation [2].

Limits of the change

• Volatile trade: Trade peaked at USD 6.4 bn (2022). It fell 39% in 2023 because of drought and a shortage of foreign currency, then recovered to USD 6.91 bn in 2025 [1].
• Narrow basket: Imports are mostly soybean and sunflower oil, so one bad Argentine harvest moves the whole trade figure [1].
• Minerals still a future promise: The Catamarca blocks are still being explored and do not yet supply India any lithium.
• Few defence sales: No major platform has been sold. India targets ₹50,000 crore in defence exports by 2029, against ₹23,622 crore in FY 2024-25 [3].
• Uneven attention: Long gaps between high-level meetings show that engagement still depends on individual visits.

Overall, the change has been qualitative more than quantitative. Engagement has moved from symbolic events to strategic sectors, but its scale is still modest. Several steps would turn the region into a lasting pillar of India's Global South partnerships, in line with SDG 17: holding dialogues every year, moving the lithium blocks from exploration to production, widening exports, and turning defence goodwill into regular training and maintenance packages.