India-Ecuador

Brief on India-Ecuador Bilateral Relations

Political Relations

1. India-Ecuador established diplomatic relations in 1969. The Embassy of India in Bogota is concurrently accredited to Ecuador. Ecuador initially opened its Embassy in New Delhi in 1973, which functioned till 1977. The Ecuadorean Embassy re-opened in February 2005 and a Consulate General in Mumbai was established in 2013. India has appointed Mr. Eduardo Dousdebes as Honorary Consul in Quito.

2. In April 2018, then External Affairs Minister met the then Foreign Minister of Ecuador, Ms. Maria Fernanda Espinosa in Baku on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Conference. In September 2018, then External Affairs Minister met the Foreign Minister of Ecuador, Mr. Jose Samuel Valencia Amores on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. On 12 October 2020, External Affairs Minister and then Foreign Minister of Ecuador, H.E. Mr. Luis Gallegos held a telephonic conversation. Cooperation in areas of health, business, development partnership and consular issues were discussed.

Bilateral Visits

3. In August 2014, Ecuadorean Vice Foreign Minister, Mr. Leonardo Arizaga visited India for the fourth round of Foreign Office Consultations. Minister of State for External Affairs, Gen. (Retd.) V.K. Singh paid an official visit to Ecuador in May 2015. During the visit, he met the then Foreign Minister of Ecuador and held discussions on issues of mutual interest. In May 2017, then Commerce Secretary visited Ecuador to participate in the first Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) meeting in Guayaquil. The Ecuadorean Minister of Hydrocarbons, Mr. Carlos E. Perez attended the 16^th Ministerial Meeting organized by the International Energy Forum in New Delhi in April 2018. A list of other important bilateral visits is placed at Annexure I.

Agreements signed

4. India and Ecuador signed a Memorandum of Understanding for holding Foreign Office Consultations in 2000. So far, four rounds of Foreign Office Consultations have been held between the two countries in 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2014 (in Delhi). Several Agreements/ Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) have been signed between India and Ecuador for cooperation in the fields of defence, economic and commercial links, technical cooperation and culture. A list of MOUs is placed at Annexure II.

Multilateral Cooperation

5. Ecuador has been appreciative of India’s role in the UN and has supported UN reforms including reforms of the UN Security Council. Ecuador has expressed support for the permanent membership of India in the UN Security Council. At the IAEA, Ecuador supported India’s Safeguard Agreement in August 2008. Ecuador belongs to the G20 group with India in WTO. Ecuador had also supported India’s candidatures to multilateral bodies.

Defence Cooperation

6. Defence Attaché in Embassy of India, Chile is concurrently accredited to Ecuador.

7. In February 2007, the Ecuadorean Vice Chief, General Rodrigo Bohorquez, attended Aero India and Brigadier General Raúl Banderas Duenas attended the Defence Expo in February 2010. Colonel Luis Marcelo Altamirano Junqueira and Colonel Francisco Javier Narvaez attended the 53^rd and 55^th NDC course in India in 2013 and 2015, respectively.

Economic and Commercial relations

8. Under the MOU on Economic Cooperation (2013), a Protocol to establish a Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) was concluded in 2015. In May 2017, at the first meeting of the JETCO, the two countries decided to conclude a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA). In July 2019, the Joint Feasibility Studies for the PTA were concluded. In October 2019, the Protocol on Joint Feasibility Study to commence formal negotiations on the PTA was signed in New Delhi.

9. From 2018, bilateral trade with Ecuador has started to pick up after experiencing a slump from 2015 due to global fall in oil prices, which adversely affected Ecuador’s economy. The total volume of bilateral trade in 2019-20 and 2020-21 stood at USD 614.60 million and USD 541.41 million, respectively. In the current financial year, from April 2021-January 2022, bilateral trade stands at USD 1.14 billion. A snapshot of bilateral trade is provided in Annexure III.

10. India’s main export items to Ecuador include vehicles, iron and steel, plastic, pharmaceutical products, aluminum, rubber, miscellaneous chemical products, organic chemicals, cotton, etc.

11. India’s main import items from Ecuador include mineral fuels, wood, cocoa, coffee, tea, spices, raw hides and skins, aluminum, zinc, miscellaneous manufactured articles, rubber, iron and steel, plastic, semiprecious stones, etc.

12. Several Indian companies are operating in Ecuador. Following is the list of companies, sector wise:

- Tech Mahindra, Tata Consultancy Services, Palazhi Engineering Limited (IT)

- MSN Laboratories, CIPLA, SetaaPharma S.A.S (Pharmaceuticals)

- United Phosphorus Limited, Sharda Cropchem Limited (Agrochemicals)

- Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto Limited, Mahindra, TVS Ecuador, Sonalika International Tractors Limited (Automobiles and tractors)

13. India’s investment in Ecuador is estimated to be USD 2.3 million, mainly in the construction, agriculture and trade sectors.

14. In recent years, several Indian Export Promotion Councils have expressed interest in expanding business ties with Ecuador. There is growing demand for Indian pharmaceutical products and automobiles in Ecuador. Mining and oil and gas sector also present opportunities. In September 2012, CHEMEXIL organized a Buyer Seller Meet (BSM) in Quito. In April 2013, a CII delegation accompanied then MOS (Commerce & Industry) to Ecuador and held meetings with their counterparts. In July 2013, a 26-member delegation from PHARMEXCIL visited Quito and participated in a BSM. In November 2015, an 11-member delegation from PLEXCONCIL visited Guayaquil and participated in the in the International Plastic Fair, IPLAS. In September 2016, the India Tourism Office (ITO) in New York participated in the FITE International Tourism Festival in Guayaquil and India participated in the International Artisan Fair in November 2016 in Cuenca. In May 2017, a 10-member PLEXCONCIL delegation visited Guayaquil and met their counterparts. In May 2017, a delegation of Indian companies led by FICCI, accompanied Commerce Secretary on her official visit to Ecuador. In August 2017, CAPEXIL organized a BSM in Quito. In February 2018, the Mission participated in a Trade Promotion event in Guayaquil, organized by the Guayaquil Chamber of Commerce. In 2018, four “Make-in-India” trade and investment promotion events were organized in all the four major cities of Ecuador - on 21 March at Guayaquil, on 27 November at Cuenca, on 30 November and on 14 December at Manta. On 11 November 2020, a virtual conference on ‘Doing business with Ecuador’ was organised by the Federation of Indian Exporters Organisation (FIEO) in collaboration with the Mission and Ministry of Production, External Trade, Investments and Fisheries of Ecuador. More than 30 Indian exporters doing business with Ecuadorean importers participated in the event and shared their concerns and sought solutions. Director of Asia, Africa and Oceania of the Ministry of Production, External Trade, Investments and Fisheries of Ecuador participated from the Ecuadorean side and made an informative presentation on prospects of doing business with Ecuador.

15. Under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM), in order to achieve the national Mission of USD 440 billion export target, the Embassy, in collaboration with Pharmexcil and India-Ecuador Chamber of Commerce, organized a virtual business meet in the pharmaceutical sector on 18 January 2022. The meet saw participation from six Ecuadorean pharmaceutical companies and many Indian exhibitors. The Drug and pharmaceutical regulator of Ecuador, National Agency of Regulation, Control and Sanitary Surveillance (ARCSA) also participated in the meet.

Technical Cooperation

16. Ecuador values the ITEC slots allotted to them since 2002 and the utilization of these slots have been satisfactory. In 2007-08, at the request of Ecuador, a special IT course was conducted exclusively for 56 Ecuadorean nationals. In 2018-19, utilization of ITEC slots exceeded the allocation and two additional slots were added. In 2019-20, 106 ITEC slots were allocated to Ecuador, out of which 71 slots were utilised. In 2020-21 and in 2021-22 (until 8 March 2022), ITEC slots utilised are 12 and 49, respectively. From January-December 2020, 49 scholarships including for e-ITEC courses were awarded to students from Ecuador. A special course on “Science Technology and Innovation Policy” for 25 Ecuadorian universities Rectors was organized at the Indian Institute of Science in February – March 2020.

17. In August 2009, a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Center of Excellence in Information Technology (CEIT) was signed in Quito with the Institute of High National Studies (Instituto de Altos Estudios Nacionales; IAEN). The CEIT was established in the North Technical University [Universidad de Norte (UTN)], in the city of Ibarra. The CEIT-UTN became operational in May 2015. With the help of three C-DAC experts sent from India to train Ecuadorean nationals, the CEIT remained operational till April 2017 and trained 816 people.

18. In November 2015, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and University of Cuenca of Ecuador in higher education cooperation for promotion of scientific research and academic exchanges.

19. In September-October 2020, two officials of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology of Government of Ecuador participated in the International Space Conference and Exhibition organised by Indian Space Research Organisation and Confederation of Indian Industry.

Humanitarian aid and assistance

20. On the request of Ecuador, India donated medicines, worth USD 1 million through two separate donations in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Government of India donated 15 tonnes of medicines/equipment worth Rs. 1,61,29,957 to Ecuador in the wake of 16 April 2016 earthquake.

21. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, India donated 1,00,000 tablets of HCQ to Ecuador on the request of the Embassy of Ecuador in New Delhi and facilitated export of 1.5 million HCQ tablets on commercial basis. Commercial export of paracetamol to Ecuador was also approved. On 14 August 2020, 4,00,000 HCQ tablets, 8000 units of Metronidazole and 8,000 units of Intravenous Paracetamol were donated to Ecuador.

Cultural Exchanges

22. Indian culture, yoga and philosophy is very popular in Ecuador. Several Centres/schools impart training in yoga and Indian culture. India and Ecuador signed a Cultural Cooperation Agreement in 2006 and a Cultural Exchange Programme was signed for 2009-2011 in 2008 during the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Integration of Ecuador, Mrs. Maria Isabel Salvador Crespo to India. In 2017 and 2018, three Indian cultural troupes under the sponsorship of Ministry of Culture, GOI visited Ecuador and gave performances. A group of 3 Indian artisans is imparted training and exchanged handicrafts making experiences in August 2019 in Cuenca, Ecuador and on the local hospitality by CIDAP (Centro Interamericano de Artesanías y Artes Populares).

23. The Embassy has been organizing International Day of Yoga in several cities of Ecuador (Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Manta etc.). The events were organized by the Mission in association with yoga institutes and municipalities. International Day of Yoga (IDY) events have been celebrated with wide participation of local people. In 2018, 22 Yoga events and in 2019, 15 events were organized in which over 10,000 yoga enthusiasts participated. In 2020, two-week long celebrations of the sixth International Day of Yoga (IDY) from 8-21 June 2020 were organised over virtual platforms. Eleven conferences, 2 workshops and 15 yoga practices sessions were organised by 35 institutions to mark the IDY celebrations. A digital platform for dissemination of information about yoga, live transmissions and recorded content of the events organised during IDY celebrations was developed. From 1-21 June 2021, the 7^th International Day of Yoga was celebrated over the virtual platform and a total of 27 events were organised in collaboration with Art of Living, Brahma Kumari, and School of Divine Values of Ecuador, among others. The celebrations included yoga/meditation practices and lecture/conferences on yoga, which were conducted by recognized yoga instructors, yoga alumni of the ITEC program and yoga academies/schools/associations.

24. In January 2020, Escuela de Valor Divinos signed an MoU with Ministry of AYUSH in January 2020 to promote Ayurveda, Yoga, etc. in Ecuador. On 13 November 2020, a virtual programme comprising a conference on Ayurveda by Dr. Jeffin Kakkaserry and an Ayurvedic cooking workshop by Dr. Paula Diez was organized.

25. An Indian gastronomy festival was organized in Ecuador from 8-19 July 2015. On 25 June 2017, ‘India Day’ was organized in Quito by Indian spiritual and yoga associations in collaboration with the Mission. To celebrate the 70th anniversary of India´s Independence, in December 2017, cultural shows by “Divya Parivar”, a troupe sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, GOI, Delhi, were organized in Quito and Guayaquil. In November 2017, India participated in the International Week organized by the Municipality of Cuenca where India was the Guest Country.

26. On the 150th birth anniversary celebration of Mahatma Gandhi, Prof. Ravindra Kumar, a Gandhian scholar visited Guayaquil on 30 January 2018 and delivered a lecture on contemporary relevance of Gandhian teachings. A bust of Mahatma Gandhi is installed at ‘Plaza de Republica de la India’ in Quito. On 20 March 2018, a bust of Mahatma Gandhi provided by ICCR was inaugurated at the famous Malecon area in Guayaquil. As part of Gandhi@150 celebrations, an event on the theme of “Incredible India-The Land of Gandhi” was organized at Manta in December 2018. For Gandhi Jayanti celebrations in 2020, a panel discussion on the life of Mahatma Gandhi, his relevance in contemporary times was organized in collaboration with noted Gandhian scholar and researcher, Dr. Jasbir Chawla. On 29 September 2020, Gandhi Katha was rendered by noted Gandhian Ms. Shobhana Radhakrishna. On the 152nd Gandhi Jayanti, a photo exhibition on the life of Mahatma Gandhi was organized at the Municipal Museum of Guayaquil in collaboration with the Government of Guayaquil. The exhibition was inaugurated on 1 October 2021. On 2 October, floral tribute homage was offered at the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Malecon, Guayaquil jointly by the Embassy and the Government of the City of Guayaquil.

27. To mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, Guru Nanak Jayanti function was organized at Quito, on 30 November 2018 in collaboration with the local Indian community. To mark the 552nd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji, a lecture presentation on the life and teachings of Gurunanak Devji was organised with Dr. Jasbir Chawla over virtual platform on 1 December 2020. On 5 June 2020, the Mission organised a seminar in collaboration with the University of National Education of Ecuador on Glimpses of Oriental and Indian Art.

Indian community

28. Ecuador has a growing Indian community numbering around 350 (PIOs - 50; NRIs – 300) and mainly resides in Quito and Guayaquil. Most of the community members are working in the services sector. In Quito, TCS, employs a sizable number of Indians. Of late, some Indian nationals are engaged in the teak wood business and some Indian nationals are employed with these companies. Indian companies participate in the commercial events organized by the Embassy, local organisations and chambers of commerce. Indian restaurants have established in Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca. Mr. Xavier Ganesh, an Ecuadorean businessman in Guayaquil has opened an impressive Prabhupada meditation centre. The Indian community gets together to organize cultural festivals such as Diwali. The Embassy organizes consular camps periodically to provide consular services in Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca.

29. On 12 August 2019, Ecuador instituted the requirement of obtaining an Ecuadorean visa for nationals of eleven countries including India. Earlier, Indian nationals were granted visa on arrival by Ecuador.

30. The number of Ecuadorean visitors to India is steadily on the increase. Most Ecuadorean nationals visit India for spiritual tourism. However, there has been a decline in the number of visitors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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March 2022

Annexure I

Important visits from India

Sl no.	Date	Visit by
	April 2013	Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, Smt. D. Purandeswari visited Ecuador
	May 2011	Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri. E. Ahamed visited Ecuador for the third Foreign Office Consultations. During his visit, he met Vice President Lenin Moreno
	June 2007	Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri Anand Sharma, visited Ecuador and met President Rafael Correa and Foreign Minister, Ms. Maria Fernanda Espinosa
	June 2005	Smt. Shashi U. Tripathi, Secretary (West) visited Quito to for first round of Foreign office consultations
	January 2003	Secretary (EAA) Shri Shashank attended the inauguration of ex-President Lucio Gutiérrez in Quito

Important visits from Ecuador

Sl no.	Date	Visit by
	December 2013	Vice President Jorge Glas visited India along with Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Integration, Mr. Francisco Rivadeneira, Minister of Strategic sector Mr. Rafael Poveda, Minister of Industry Ramiro Gonsalez, Coordinating Minister of Production, Employment and Competitiveness Mr. Richard Espinosa. The visit coincided with CII India-LAC Conclave.
	April 2012	Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Integration, Mr. Francisco Rivadeneira visited India
	September 2009	Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade & Integration, Ms. Maria Isabel Salvador Crespo visited India for the Doha Round meeting at the invitation of Minister of Commerce
	November 2008	Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade & Integration, Ms. Maria Isabel Salvador Crespo visited India
	July 2008	Vice Foreign Minister visited Delhi for second Foreign Office Consultations
	April 2008	Vice Minister of Agriculture, Mr.Xavier Cevallos visited India
	July 2006	Foreign Minister, Mr. Francisco Carrion Mena, visited India
	January 2005	Minister of Energy and Mines of Ecuador, Mr. Eduardo Lopez, visited India and delivered the key-note speech at the PetroTech events organized by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas

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Annexure II

List of Agreements/MoUs signed between the two countries

Sl.no.

Date

Subject

2015

Protocol on Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) under the framework of MoU on Economic Cooperation

2013

MoU on Economic Cooperation

2011

MoU between the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Ecuador on Defence Co-operation

2009

MOU to set up a Centre of Excellence in IT in 2009

2008

MoU between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Ecuador for Cooperation in the field of Agricultural Research & Education

2007

Agreement on exemption of visas for diplomatic and official passport holders

2006

MoU between Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and Export and Investment Promotion Council of Ecuador (CORPEI)

2006

Agreement between Diplomatic Academies

2006

Cultural Agreement

2000

MoU on Foreign Office Consultations

Annexure III

Bilateral Trade Figures