**India and Argentina Strengthen Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Trade Ties**
*Buenos Aires, Argentina – August 29, 2026* – The governments of India and Argentina announced a series of initiatives aimed at expanding market access for Indian pharmaceutical and agricultural products. The measures were discussed during the fourth India‑Argentina Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting held in Buenos Aires on August 24.
**Key agreements**
* **Pharmaceutical regulatory status** – Argentina agreed to work toward upgrading India’s classification from Annex II to Annex I under Argentina’s pharmaceutical regulatory framework. The upgrade is intended to reduce barriers for Indian medicines and improve the availability of affordable healthcare products in Argentina.
* **Agricultural exports** – Technical discussions are under way to facilitate the entry of Indian farm produce—including onions, milk and milk products, grapes, potatoes, bananas and pulses—into the Argentine market. Both sides noted progress on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures for these commodities.
* **Trade volume** – Bilateral trade between the two countries reached US $6.5 billion in 2025, reflecting an annual growth rate of more than 17 percent. India now ranks as Argentina’s fifth‑largest trading partner.
**Investment and sectoral cooperation**
The JTC also examined investment opportunities in mining, energy and infrastructure. India’s KABIL has completed Phase II drilling at its lithium project in Catamarca, and it is exploring prospects in the provinces of Salta and Jujuy. Additional areas identified for cooperation include aviation, space technology, telecommunications, and digital services such as 5G, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure.
Discussions on the India‑MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement highlighted progress on the Terms of Reference and the anticipated adoption of digital certificates of origin to simplify cross‑border trade.
**Follow‑up business delegation**
On August 25, the JTC was succeeded by the India‑Argentina Business Forum, where Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal led a delegation of more than 25 Indian business leaders from companies such as UPL, Kirloskar and the Aditya Birla Group. The delegation explored opportunities in agriculture, minerals, energy, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, tourism, banking and telecommunications, aiming to translate governmental dialogue into concrete commercial partnerships.
**Further engagements**
Secretary Agrawl held separate meetings with Argentine officials covering agriculture, non‑tariff barriers, pharmaceutical regulatory recognition, and space and nuclear cooperation, including a proposed interaction between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Argentina’s National Space Activities Commission (CONAE).
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry released the statements, noting that the initiatives are expected to deepen economic ties and diversify trade between the two nations.
Article and image source: argentinastar.com
