India is expanding engagement with Latin America to secure access to critical minerals and strengthen food and energy supply chains.
At a discussion hosted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) on Thursday, the Ambassadors of Chile and Argentina outlined growing opportunities for collaboration as New Delhi looks to diversify from China-centric supply routes.
Chile’s Ambassador Juan Angulo said the country had adopted a national lithium policy focusing on sustainable extraction involving local communities. “The system for extraction is now open, but it must be done in a sustainable way,” he said. “Lithium is part of the strategic minerals dialogue we are having with India, and several Indian companies have already expressed interest in new projects.”
Chile, which holds the world’s largest proven lithium reserves—estimated at 9.3 million tonnes—is a leading global supplier of the mineral critical to electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage. State-owned ENAMI has received international bids, including from Indian firms, for joint ventures in lithium production.
For India, the “Lithium Triangle” of Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia forms a key element of its mineral security strategy. India’s public-sector consortium Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) has already committed $24 million to lithium exploration across five blocks in northern Argentina.
“Indian companies are working in the north of Argentina, which is very positive,” said Ambassador Mariano Caucino. “However, our partnership must also extend to technology, manufacturing, and innovation.”
The upcoming visit of Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita to Bolivia—another lithium-rich nation—is expected to advance cooperation in mining technologies, renewable energy, and sustainable resource development.
India and Chile are also negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) to expand trade and investment beyond the limited pact signed in 2006. Angulo said the new CEPA “goes beyond goods” to include intellectual property, services, and professional mobility.
Argentina, through Mercosur, is working with Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia to expand the Preferential Trade Agreement with India. “There is broad consensus within Mercosur to deepen trade with India,” said Caucino.
Both ambassadors said the partnership extends beyond mining to food and energy security. Angulo noted Chile’s goal of being a long-term contributor to India’s “security chains” in food and clean energy.
India is also opening new embassies in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Uruguay, strengthening its diplomatic footprint in the region. “For decades, distance held us back,” Angulo said. “Now, both regions are discovering the real potential of partnership.”
