India, Argentina Strengthen Trade Partnership, Eye Lithium And Pharma Opportunities

New Delhi: India and Argentina are bolstering their economic alliance, with a focus on lithium mining, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and emerging technologies. This was highlighted at the Fourth India–Argentina Joint Trade Committee meeting in Buenos Aires, which reviewed progress following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2025 visit.

Mining and critical minerals were a significant point of discussion, with India's KABIL making strides in its lithium project in Argentina's Catamarca province, having completed Phase II drilling. This marks the first lithium mining venture by an Indian company in Argentina. The partnership also extends to agriculture, as both nations aim to enhance research and technology cooperation, starting with their first lithium mining initiative.

Furthermore, India's pharmaceutical sector stands to benefit from improved access to Argentina, as the country commits to upgrading India from Annex II to Annex I under its pharmaceutical regulatory framework. This could potentially ease entry barriers for Indian medicines. The countries also agreed to strengthen cooperation between Argentina’s ANMAT and India’s CDSCO, as well as joint initiatives involving Ayurveda and Yoga.

Bilateral trade between India and Argentina soared past $6.5 billion in 2025, representing an annual growth rate of over 17 percent, making Argentina the fifth-largest trading partner for India. Discussions also covered market access for Indian agricultural products, with technical talks on sanitary and phytosanitary requirements advancing for commodities such as onions, dairy, grapes, potatoes, bananas, and pulses.

Both sides identified aviation, space technology, telecommunications, and digital services, particularly 5G, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure, as promising areas for future cooperation.