Key facts
- India–Argentina bilateral trade has crossed $5 billion
- Argentina targeting LNG, lithium, and agri-commodity exports to India
- Argentina holds major global lithium reserves, critical for EV batteries
- Aligns with India's strategy to diversify energy and mineral supply chains
Argentina is pushing to play a significantly larger role in India's energy security calculus as trade between the two nations has surpassed the $5 billion threshold, The Economic Times reported. The South American country is positioning itself as a key supplier across multiple strategic sectors that align with India's long-term economic priorities.
Among the areas of focus are liquefied natural gas, where Argentina's Vaca Muerta shale formation has made it a rising global exporter, and lithium — a critical mineral for battery manufacturing and the electric vehicle industry. Argentina holds some of the world's largest lithium reserves and is keen to attract Indian investment into its mining sector as global demand surges.
The bilateral relationship also encompasses food security. Argentina is a major exporter of soybean oil, sunflower oil, and pulses, commodities that India imports in large volumes. Deeper trade ties could help stabilise Indian edible-oil prices, which have been volatile in recent years.
The push fits into India's broader diplomatic strategy of building energy and resource partnerships across multiple geographies — Africa, Latin America, and the Gulf — to reduce dependence on any single source. With the Middle East remaining an area of uncertainty and China dominating critical mineral supply chains, Argentina offers India a strategically valuable alternative.