While LAC’s exports are driven by crude oil, metal ores, and agricultural products, India’s strengths lie in pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, and IT services, presenting opportunities for diversification and mutual growth. Bilateral trade in services is another area that brims with growth opportunities. To expand trade in goods and services, India and the LAC region would do well to usher in robust, comprehensive trade mechanisms, including bilateral agreements, digital trade platforms, and the expansion of trade in high-value sectors like renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and digital services. How can India and the LAC region create trade systems that foster resilience and inclusivity? What role can digital technologies and bilateral frameworks play in reducing trade barriers?

India’s pharma market is projected to reach USD 130 billion by 2030 and USD 450 billion by 2047, driven by generics, OTC medications, bulk drugs, vaccines, biosimilars, and biologics. With the highest number of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities and 500 API producers, India accounts for 8% of the global API market. Meanwhile, Latin America’s biotechnology market, valued at USD 84.7 billion in 2023, is set to grow at 14.1% CAGR. Collaborative opportunities include local manufacturing, digital health solutions, and skill-building initiatives like India’s Skill India programme. What strategies can India and LAC adopt to streamline regulatory barriers and reduce market entry hurdles? How can public-private partnerships bridge funding gaps and expand healthcare access?

In FY23, India exported 4.76 million automobiles, employing 19 million people directly and indirectly. Its EV market is projected to reach USD 7.09 billion by 2025. In 2022, LAC imports totalled USD 113.07 billion, with USD 4.33 billion from India, signalling collaboration opportunities. Globally, India, Mexico, and Brazil ranked 4th, 7th, and 8th in motor vehicle production. With abundant lithium reserves, the LAC region is pivotal for the global energy transition, complementing India’s rising focus on EVs and sustainable mobility. How can India and Latin America collaborate to create sustainable and scalable models for workforce development in the automotive industry? What role can India play in facilitating the integration of advanced technologies in Latin America’s automotive industry?

India is a global agricultural leader, supporting ~55% of its population. With the largest areas for wheat, rice, and cotton, it is the top producer of milk, pulses, and spices and ranks second in fruits, vegetables, tea, fish, sugarcane, and more. With a large agricultural base, India is an ideal partner for food security. Similarly, LAC is the largest net food-exporting region and both sides can share best practices in irrigation, precision farming, and cold storage that can address critical challenges. How can Indian innovations bridge LAC’s productivity gaps? What can India learn from LAC in addressing global markets and ensuring food security through public-private partnerships and technology transfers?

India’s mining sector embraces advanced technologies like UAV-enabled drones for mineral exploration, computer vision for safety, IoT sensors for real-time decisions, and digital tools to optimize renewable energy integration. Meanwhile, the LAC region holds vast natural resources, including over half the world’s lithium reserves, a third of its copper, and significant nickel and rare-earth metals. With rising mineral demand and expertise in mining technologies, India is well-positioned as a key partner for the LAC region's mining sector. How can India collaborate with LAC to address challenges in the mining sector while promoting sustainability, innovation, and efficiency? What other policies and schemes can be introduced which will focus on fostering investments, sharing technological advancements, and building partnerships to unlock the immense potential of LAC’s mining sector?

India's infrastructure and logistics sector is undergoing significant development, with a focus on improving road, rail, port, and airway networks to support the country's growing economy. Owing to large-scale infrastructure projects and initiatives like the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan to enhance multimodal connectivity and reduce logistics costs, the Indian infra sector has seen significant growth. The LAC region comprising 35 countries and with a total population of over 663 million is progressing rapidly on regional transport and infrastructure integration. Both sides can share expertise in large-scale physical and digital infrastructure projects and public-private partnerships (PPPs) with key investment opportunities available for businesses in each other’s sectors. How can multimodal logistics networks improve trade efficiency? What role can PPPs and smart urban planning play in accelerating sustainable infrastructure development with partnerships of companies from both sides?

India's electricity generation capacity stands at 452.69 GW, with renewables playing a key role. Similarly, LAC's abundant renewable resources position it as a potential leader in low-emission hydrogen production and export. Despite shared challenges like fossil fuel dependency, economic constraints, and climate vulnerabilities, India and LAC can drive global progress in renewables including green hydrogen and energy storage. How can hybrid systems and cross-border grids transform energy resilience? What innovative strategies can mitigate economic and climate challenges in accelerating the energy transition?

The services sector, that contributes about two-thirds of the global GDP, plays a pivotal role in the growth and development of Indian and LAC economies across sectors such as banking, insurance, transportation, among others. With a median age of 28 years, India is uniquely positioned to leverage its youthful and talented demographic dividend through strategic collaborations with LAC economies. India’s Global Capability Centres (GCC) has also seen an impressive growth trajectory.

How can India partner with LAC countries to expand their respective services industries? How people-to-people collaborations and tourist flows will help cement the partnerships?

Central American Cooperation refers to the collaborative efforts among Central American countries to address shared challenges and promote regional development. This cooperation covers various areas, including economic integration, security, environmental protection, social development, and political stability.

It takes place through both formal institutions like the Central American Integration System (SICA) and informal collaborations between governments, international organizations, and private sectors.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is a grouping of twenty-one countries: fifteen Member States (Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago) and six Associate Members (Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Turks & Caicos Islands).

MERCOSUR is a trading bloc which has six member countries of Latin America viz. Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay being the founding members, Venezuela joining Mercosur in 2012 and Bolivia´s incorporation being agreed to by all five members in July 2015.

The Pacific Alliance is an initiative of regional integration comprised by Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, officially established on April 28th, 2011.

Dr. S. Jaishankar is India’s External Affairs Minister since May 30th, 2019. He is a Member of the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) of India’s Parliament from the state of Gujarat.

He was Foreign Secretary from 2015-18, Ambassador to United States (2013-15), China (2009-2013), Singapore (2007-2009) and Czech Republic (2000-2004).

He has also served other diplomatic assignments in Embassies in Moscow, Colombo, Budapest and Tokyo, as well in the Ministry of External Affairs and the President’s Secretariat. He was also President – Global Corporate Affairs at Tata Sons Private Limited from May 2018.

Piyush Vedprakash Goyal is an Indian politician. He was born on 13 June 1964. He is the son of Late Shri Ved Prakash Goyal who had served as a Union Minister for shipping in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee cabinet. Piyush Goyal is a chartered accountant and a management professional in terms of expertise. He is a prominent figure within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a key minister in the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre. Currently, he is the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and a member of Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament.
Previously, he was a three-term Rajya Sabha member and has helmed the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Textiles and before this Ministry of Railways, Finance, Corporate Affairs, Coal, Power, New & Renewable Energy, and Mines. Earlier, he held the post of the National Treasurer of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Shri Sunil Barthwal, has taken over the charge of Commerce Secretary with effect from 30th September, 2022. In the present role, Shri Barthwal is shaping the trade agenda of India and during his tenure as Commerce Secretary, India recorded its highest ever exports of US$ 776 billion.

During his rich and varied experience as an IAS officer, he has held various administrative positions in the areas of Finance, Social Security, Investment, Infrastructure, Mines, Steel, Energy, Transport etc. in the Government at Central and State level. He has also worked in the Competition Commission of India. He has been on the Boards of SAIL, NMDC, MECON, MSTC & NIIF. He was the CEO of Employees’ Provident Fund Organization, which is the largest social security organization of India. He has been instrumental in many reforms in EPFO resulting in making it more efficient, transparent and delivery-oriented organisation.

Jai Shroff is the Chairman & Group CEO of UPL Limited, a multinational manufacturer and distributor of agrochemicals that plays a crucial role in global food security. A renowned entrepreneur and leader in sustainable agricultural solutions and services, Shroff has successfully scaled UPL from a family-owned business to the most global company in India.

Under Jai’s leadership as CEO, UPL has grown to become the one of the most expansive companies in the global agricultural sector, with operations in over 130 countries, and over 14,000 products and solutions that cover all elements of the food system. He has driven this success by maintaining intimate relationships with customers around the world and investing in innovation backed by industry research.

C. Tara Satyavathis first posting as Scientist in 1998 was at National Research Centre for Soybean, Indore, Madhya Pradesh. During 2006, she was selected for Senior Scientist position at Division of Genetics, IARI, New Delhi. In 2010, through direct selection she became Principal Scientist. Presently she served as Project Coordinator ICAR - AICRP on Pearl Millet, Rajasthan since April, 2017 to 15th February, 2023.She is now serving as Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Millet Research, Hyderabad which is now declared as “Global Centre of Excellence for R&D in Millets”. During her masters and doctoral programme she worked on quality parameters in rice, crossability relationship and made hybridization in Brassica species. While serving at Indian Institute of Soybean research, Indore, she focused on genetic improvement, breeding for bold seeded soybean with improved seed germination, development of minimal descriptor in soybean and reference varieties that paved way for development of National Test guidelines for DUS (Distinctiveness Uniformity and Stability) testing in soybean which is essential for Plant Variety Protection. She also used marker technologies like AFLP and SSRs in discerning diversity in soybean and identification of QTL(s) for seed coat permeability.

Tara handled 26 research projects financed by DAC, Govt. of India, DBT, AP Cess fund, GLDC Innovation fund, BMGF and ICAR. As Director, ICAR-IIMR, Hyderabad looking after the activities of Global Centre of Excellence on Millets (Shree Anna).

Narayan Sethuramon is currently the Managing Director of Sanmar Engineering Technologies Private Limited and Sanmar Matrix Metals Limited, both part of the Chennai-based Sanmar Group. He leads the group’s global steel casting business, which operates in the USA, Mexico, and India, as well as the group’s joint ventures focused on the production of specialty valves.

In addition to his corporate leadership roles, Narayan Sethuramon holds prominent positions in various industry bodies. He is a member of the CII National Council and currently serves as the Co-Chairman of the CII Trade Policy Council. He is also a member of the CII International Council and National Manufacturing Council. Previously, he was the Chairman of the Tamil Nadu State Council from 2013 to 2014 and played a key role in founding CII’s Young Indians (“Yi”), serving as its Chairman in 2006-07. Additionally, he is a member of the CII Public Policy Council, further contributing to industry development and policymaking.

Mr. Wahi has over 30 years of International Marketing and General Management experience dealing with well-known and reputed international brands like DCM Toyota, Daewoo Motors, Volvo, AMC- South Africa, Sonalika, Escorts Kubota and now Captain Agri Machinery.

Over the years he has handled diverse product portfolios from Automobiles, Agri Machinery, Tractors, Construction Equipment, Engines, Clothing and Projects.

A Postgraduate with a Diploma in Business Management, Mr. Wahi heads the International Business Division for the Captain Agri Machinery, which is presently spread across 5 continents in over 70 countries. The group is a pioneer in development and manufacture of Mini and Compact Tractors in India.