India and Chile Strengthen Economic Partnership, Push for Early CEPA Conclusion

·         Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal Holds Talks with Chile Foreign Minister to Deepen Bilateral Trade and Investment Cooperation

·         India and Chile Reaffirm Commitment for Early Conclusion of CEPA; Discussions Cover Trade Facilitation, Market Access and Investment Cooperation

Key Highlights

·         High-level delegation from Chile led by Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna visited India to enhance bilateral economic and commercial cooperation.

·         Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held talks with the Chilean delegation.

Focus of Bilateral Discussions

·         Strengthening:

o    Bilateral trade

o    Investment cooperation

o    Business-to-business engagement

o    Economic partnerships in priority sectors

·         Both sides acknowledged steady growth in India–Chile economic relations.

CEPA Negotiations

·         India and Chile reaffirmed commitment for early conclusion of the:

o    Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)

·         CEPA viewed as crucial for unlocking full potential of bilateral economic ties.

·         Discussions included:

o    Trade facilitation

o    Market access

o    Investment promotion

o    Institutional economic cooperation

Separate Official-Level Meeting

·         India’s Commerce Secretary held talks with:

o    Paula Estévez

·         Discussions focused on modalities for early CEPA finalisation and broader economic cooperation.

India–Chile Business Roundtable

·         Business Roundtable organized in New Delhi with participation from industry leaders of both countries.

·         Explored cooperation opportunities in:

o    Critical minerals

o    Renewable energy

o    Agri-business

o    Infrastructure

o    Pharmaceuticals

o    Digital services

o    Logistics

o    Advanced manufacturing

Strategic Importance

·         Both countries highlighted:

o    Strong complementarities between their economies

o    Need for resilient supply chains

o    Sustainable development cooperation

o    Greater private-sector participation

Overall Outcome

·         Visit strengthened momentum in India–Chile bilateral relations.

·         Reaffirmed commitment towards building a stronger, future-oriented economic partnership based on:

o    Mutual trust

o    Democratic values

o    Expanding economic engagement.

 

[ABS News Service/14.05.2026]

A high-level delegation from the Republic of Chile led by H.E. Mr. Francisco Pérez Mackenna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile, visited India for bilateral engagements aimed at strengthening economic and commercial cooperation between the two countries.

During the visit, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal held discussions with the Foreign Minister of Chile on further deepening bilateral trade and investment ties and enhancing economic cooperation in priority sectors. Both sides noted the steady growth in India Chile economic relations and reaffirmed their shared commitment to expanding bilateral trade, investment and business-to-business engagement.

The discussions focused on the ongoing negotiations towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Chile. Both sides acknowledged the importance of CEPA in unlocking the full potential of the bilateral economic relationship and expressed their commitment to work towards its early conclusion.

Commerce Secretary also held a separate meeting with Ms. Paula Estévez, Vice-Minister of International Economic Relations (SUBREI), Government of Chile. Apart from discussing the modalities for early conclusion of CEPA, the interactions also covered a broad range of issues relating to trade facilitation, market access, investment promotion and strengthening institutional economic engagement between the two countries.

As a part of the bilateral engagement, an India-Chile Business Roundtable was also organized in New Delhi with participation from leading business representatives and industry stakeholders from both countries. The Roundtable served as an important platform for exploring new avenues of collaboration in sectors such as critical minerals, renewable energy, agri-business, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, digital services, logistics and advanced manufacturing.

Both sides emphasized the strong complementarities between the Indian and Chilean economies and underscored the importance of resilient supply chains, sustainable development and greater private-sector participation in advancing bilateral economic cooperation.

India and Chile share warm and longstanding relations marked by mutual trust, democratic values, and growing economic engagement. The visit further strengthened the momentum in bilateral ties and reaffirmed the shared commitment of both countries towards building a stronger and future-oriented economic partnership.