Indian PM Modi Begins Historic First Visit by Indian Prime Minister in 57 Years to Argentina

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Buenos Aires, officials at India's Ministry of External Affairs confirmed. This marks a historic moment as the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Argentina on a standalone bilateral trip in 57 years. 

The last such visit was by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1967. Modi was received with ceremonial honours and greeted by senior Argentine officials at the airport, underscoring the significance of the visit for both nations.

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India and Argentina have shared diplomatic relations since 1949, but high-level engagements have been few and far between. 

Modi’s visit is expected to inject fresh momentum into this under-leveraged partnership, especially in the areas of trade, renewable energy, agriculture, space cooperation, and defence. Argentina’s lithium reserves, vital for India’s clean energy transition, are likely to feature prominently in bilateral talks.

The visit also aligns with India’s broader strategic vision of expanding its presence and influence in Latin America, a region rich in natural resources and increasingly significant in the global south’s geopolitical rebalancing. 

India has, in recent years, intensified engagement with Latin American countries, and Modi’s outreach is seen as a continuation of that calibrated shift.

Modi’s Argentina stop comes after a high-profile visit to Trinidad and Tobago, where he was conferred the nation’s highest civilian honour. 

These back-to-back visits signal New Delhi’s intent to deepen South-South cooperation, enhance people-to-people ties, and establish India as a consistent, visible global actor beyond its immediate neighbourhood.