Can India Become a Player in Latin America?

The recent visit of Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, to India has cultivated increased media interest in India’s relations with the South American country. Invited as the chief guest for India’s 71st Republic Day celebration, Bolsonaro attracted attention due to his controversial views on a range of issues. Some have been critical of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s courtship of Brazil’s new “populist” leader. 

New Delhi’s interest in bolstering ties with Brazil’s new leader suggests that it is aware of the potential the bilateral relationship holds. For New Delhi, relations with Brazil are of the highest importance in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), which until recently was considered a “forgotten continent” in Indian foreign policy. Bolsonaro’s visit gives us an opportunity to examine India’s engagement with LAC, which, although neglected, has great potential.

India and LAC Relations

Despite LAC’s geographical significance, large population, and economic potential, the region has received little consideration in Indian foreign policy. India’s outreach to the LAC region was long hindered by a geographical disconnect and late realization of the opportunities the region offers. While trade between the two has steadily risen since the first decade of the 21st century (see fig. 1), existing literature on India-LAC relations underlines the slow pace of growth in other areas.