Coinciding with the celebration of the 76th Republic Day of India, we spoke exclusively with Mariano Caucino, Argentina's ambassador to India, about the strengthening of bilateral relations and the opportunities emerging for both countries in key sectors such as energy, mining, and the economy.

A Path of 75 Years of Cooperation

Last year, Argentina and India celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations. Despite cultural and geographical differences, the ties between the two nations have solidified, and today, India is one of Argentina’s main trading partners.

ABC Mundial: Ambassador, how would you describe the journey Argentina and India have taken to build the strategic relationship we have today?
Mariano Caucino: “Last year, Argentina and India marked 75 years since the beginning of bilateral relations. As you know, despite the great geographical distance and cultural differences between our countries, the bond between Argentina and India has been solidifying to the extent that India is now one of the six or seven main trading partners of our country. Naturally, I feel honored to serve as Argentina’s ambassador during this decisive time, as India experiences a significant rise in global power. India is a country that has achieved truly remarkable milestones. Today, India has become the most populous nation on Earth and the fifth-largest global economy.”

ABC Mundial: India imports large quantities of soybean and sunflower oil from Argentina. What opportunities do you see for expanding this impact to other products or sectors?
Mariano Caucino: “Currently, trade relations between our countries amount to $4.6 billion, with a positive balance for our country. Argentina is indeed India’s leading supplier of soybean oil and the third-largest supplier of sunflower oil. That’s why the director of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Samir Saran, always points out that our country is present on virtually every table in India. You know that with our immense productive capacity, Argentina is a reliable provider of food security for major markets, including India, a country whose economic growth rates have averaged seven percent annually over the past decade. And it’s not just India but many Asian economies with which Argentina and many countries in our region have significant economic complementarities. As you know, we live in a world of constant change, and in this historical phase, it’s clear that the center of gravity of global events seems to be shifting toward the Indo-Pacific.

“Never forget two key facts: sixty percent of humanity lives in Asia, and forty percent of the world’s gross product is generated by Asian economies. It is within this framework that India’s elevation as a major actor on the global stage is occurring.”

Energy: A Promising Field

India’s energy growth opens doors for Argentina to become a key supplier of liquefied natural gas. In this regard, the recent visit by YPF President Horacio Marín marked a milestone with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that lays the groundwork for exporting liquefied gas to India.

ABC Mundial: In terms of energy, how do you see the possibility of Argentina becoming a key supplier of liquefied natural gas to India?
Mariano Caucino: “In energy matters, both countries find a vast field of cooperation. It is in this area that the recent visit to India by YPF President Horacio Marín was truly opportune, during which YPF signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) that serves as the starting point for our country to become a supplier of liquefied natural gas, contributing to India’s virtually unlimited energy demand.”

Mining and Other Opportunities

India has made significant investments in Argentina’s mining sector, particularly in provinces like Catamarca, focusing on strategic resources such as lithium, copper, and gold. These investments will be strengthened with new investment promotion policies in Argentina.

ABC Mundial: We’ve seen significant Indian investments in Argentine mining. What other projects could emerge in this area?
Mariano Caucino: “India has been undertaking significant operations in the strategic mining sector in provinces like Catamarca. Lithium, copper, and gold are resources of enormous interest to India. These investments will be enhanced with the approval of investment promotion legislation in our country (RIGI).”

Lessons from the Indian Model

Ambassador Caucino emphasized India’s impressive economic rise in recent decades, highlighting market reforms initiated in 1991 and continued under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “This model is a successful example that can inspire the economic transformation led by President Javier Milei in Argentina, showing that strategic decisions by leaders are key to development,” Caucino explained.

ABC Mundial: India has taken remarkable steps in its economic development. What lessons do you think Argentina can learn from its model?
Mariano Caucino: “Since the heroic yet painful struggle for independence (1947), in just seven decades, India has established itself as the world’s largest democracy, upholding principles that unite us, such as respect for human dignity, a commitment to freedom, and limited government systems. In recent years, India has astonished the world with its outstanding economic performance, achieving growth rates comparable only to those of the People’s Republic of China after Deng Xiaoping’s reforms (1978).

“The phenomenal economic rise of India, however, is not a random occurrence. It is perhaps the result of determined policies, particularly through the launch of market reforms, economic openness, and deregulation initially implemented by Prime Minister Narasimha Rao and Finance Minister Manmohan Singh in 1991, and further deepened over the past decade under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

ABC Mundial: What did these reforms entail?
Mariano Caucino: “A program of economic modernization that effectively abandoned socialist frameworks that had caused economic stagnation. Specifically, this excessive state interventionism led to what Indians themselves described as the substitution of the ‘British Raj’ with a kind of ‘License Raj,’ where almost all economic activities were subject to cumbersome permits and authorizations.

“This is why the reform model implemented in India serves as a successful example for the economic transformation led by President Javier Milei in our country. Once again, it has been demonstrated that countries grow or decline based on the measures adopted by their leaders and not due to predetermined factors. Even Minister of Deregulation Federico Sturzenegger has highlighted the Indian case as a source of inspiration when seeking to remove obstacles to production and investment.”

ABC Mundial: The Argentine Media with a Unique Presence in India

It’s worth noting that ABC Mundial is the only Argentine media outlet with a dedicated section for India for 11 years. It also has a correspondent in the country, Deepak Dhawan, who provides firsthand material to cover relevant news and strengthen the informational bridge between the two nations.