New Delhi
[India], April 11: The
official state visit of H.E.
Mr. Gabriel Boric, President of the Republic of Chile, to India
concluded in Bangalore with the signing of two strategic agreements aimed at
deepening collaboration in innovation, entrepreneurship, and start-up
ecosystems between the two nations.
During his week-long
visit, President Boric toured Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore, with the final leg
of the trip culminating in a series of high-level engagements in India’s
technology capital. In Bangalore, the President visited Chaman Bhartiya School,
where he interacted with students and educators to learn about their pioneering
education practices and innovative projects.
Accompanied by a
high-level delegation comprising Chilean government officials, business
leaders, and representatives from leading tech start-ups, President Boric
participated in a roundtable discussion with key stakeholders from Karnataka’s
innovation ecosystem. Participants included senior officials from the
Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology, and Science & Technology, as
well as leaders from incubators, accelerators, and venture capital
organizations.
A key highlight of the
visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the India SME Forum and ProChile,
Chile’s export promotion agency. The agreement aims to facilitate the exchange
of information, joint participation in events, and the promotion of
collaboration between innovation ecosystems in both countries—particularly in
the fields of biotech, climatech, healthtech, and edtech.
Mr. Vinod Kumar,
President of the India SME Forum, remarked, “This MoU formalizes the mutual
intent to enhance trade relations and foster people-to-people connections
between our two nations. Chile presents a strategic gateway for Indian
entrepreneurs into Latin American markets, while India offers Chilean start-ups
access to one of the world’s most dynamic and populous consumer bases.”
He further added, “With
over 1.2 million members, the India SME Forum is enthusiastic about pursuing
cross-border opportunities in technology, trade, investment, and
entrepreneurship in Chile.”
Mr. Ignacio Fernández,
Director General of ProChile, expressed optimism about the partnership,
stating, “We are proud to showcase not only Chilean agri-food products but also
the robust innovation and technology ecosystem we’ve built. There is immense
potential for start-ups from both nations to collaborate in addressing global
challenges such as climate change, healthcare innovation, renewable energy, and
financial technologies.”
Chile-India bilateral
trade reached an all-time high in 2023, with Chilean exports to India totaling
over USD 2.5 billion. While copper and agri-food products continue to dominate
trade, the agreements signed during the visit underscore both countries’
commitment to diversifying areas of cooperation.
President Boric also
attended the Chile-India Innovation Summit on Sunday in Bangalore. The event
brought together Minister Priyank Kharge and Dr. Ekroop Caur of the Government
of Karnataka’s Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology, and Science &
Technology, along with business leaders from both countries. The summit
featured start-up pitch sessions and highlighted new opportunities for
bilateral innovation partnerships.
In another significant
development, CORFO—Chile’s national economic development agency—signed an MoU
with the Bangalore-based Global Innovation Alliance, becoming the first Latin
American institution to formalize such a partnership.
President Boric
concluded the visit by reaffirming Chile’s commitment to expanding ties with
Indian start-ups and SMEs.
“We see tremendous
value in working closely with India’s vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem,” he said.
Mr. Kumar added in closing, “We are honored by President Boric’s invitation to
lead an exploratory delegation of Indian entrepreneurs and start-ups to Chile.
We look forward to fostering strong commercial ties and supporting Chilean
entrepreneurs in accessing the Indian market.”