India Deepens Ties with Central America, Positions Digital and Green Tech at Core of South-South Cooperation
India and the Central American Integration System (SICA) reaffirmed their shared development vision in New York on the sidelines of UNGA80, with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar calling for deeper cooperation across digital payments, climate resilience, renewable energy, and public health.
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| India-SICA Foreign Minister’s Meeting |
Speaking candidly about common challenges such as poverty alleviation, post-pandemic recovery, and climate disruptions, Jaishankar said India sees SICA as a key partner in South-South cooperation and stressed that countries in both regions can tackle shared challenges more effectively by doing so together.
He pointed to the momentum built during the 2023 political dialogue in Panama City and called for scaling that progress into sectors like digital transformation, food security, and climate adaptation.
India’s growing engagement with Central America was underscored by high-level visits in recent years, including Jaishankar’s own trips to Panama and the Dominican Republic, and plans for broader outreach in the region in the coming year.
“We have had high-level visits which demonstrate a commitment to closer ties with Central America,” he said, noting that his deputy has already visited five SICA nations in the past two years. “He will be coming to you—but I will be coming to you too,” Jaishankar quipped, adding a personal tone to his diplomatic remarks.
India’s rapid advances in digital infrastructure were showcased as a potential model for Central American economies. Jaishankar offered the Unified Payments Interface (UPI)--India’s real-time digital payments platform--as a low-cost, high-efficiency solution that has revolutionized domestic financial inclusion and could be replicated in SICA nations.
“More than half the world’s cashless transactions take place in India today because of UPI,” he noted, inviting collaboration on digital finance.
On climate and disaster resilience, Jaishankar highlighted India’s role in supplying vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic and in providing emergency relief following severe storms that struck SICA countries last year.
He announced that three SICA members--Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Honduras--have now joined India’s Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and urged others to do the same.
“CDRI offers technical expertise, best practices, research and finance to strengthen resilience,” he said.
Clean energy and climate finance emerged as strong pillars of engagement. Several SICA nations have joined the International Solar Alliance, and Jaishankar extended India’s willingness to co-develop projects in solar, green hydrogen, and bioenergy.
He also encouraged the region to explore participation in the Global Biofuels Alliance, which India launched as a collaborative platform to drive energy transition and attract investment.
Indian businesses are already showing interest in Central America across sectors such as agriculture, IT, renewable energy, and pharmaceuticals.
The minister said the India-SICA partnership must now move toward “tangible outcomes” and contribute to building a more “inclusive, balanced and multipolar world order.”
In a time of geopolitical fragmentation and development anxieties, India’s outreach to Central America signals a broader intention to anchor global partnerships in shared challenges and scalable solutions.
“We believe this partnership can be one of tangible outcomes,” Jaishankar said, closing the session with a call for sustained political commitment and practical delivery.