2025 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Portugal. This golden jubilee marks not just a milestone in diplomatic history, but is a testament to the transformative power of dialogue, shared values, and mutual respect.
First, a little bit of background. Relations between India and Portugal began amicably 1947 after India gained independence and diplomatic relations were established in 1949. However, they soon went into decline in 1950 after Antonio Oliveira Salazar, Portugal's dictator, refused to surrender the Portuguese enclaves. Indian military action under "Operation Vijay" liberated Goa on 19th December 1961, ending 451 years of Portuguese rule. However, the strained diplomatic relations were restored following the Portuguese Carnation Revolution in April 1974, which overthrew Salazar's Estado Novo.
The transformation from chilly diplomatic relations to a thaw in ties between India and Portugal unfolded during Mario Soares' regime in Portugal. One of the most influential politicians in Portuguese history, Soares was the external affairs minister of Portugal when India and Portugal finally signed a treaty on 31st December 1974, recognising India's sovereignty over Goa, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. This treaty came into force on 3rd June 1975.
While relations were cordial, bilateral engagement between India and Portugal was sluggish owing to Portugal's preoccupation with restoring domestic political stability and integrating with the European Union (EU), as well as India's focus on its region. The exchanges of presidential visits in 1990, 1992 and 1998, followed by the visit of PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Lisbon in 2000 for the first India-EU Summit, and the visit of Portuguese PM José Socrates to Delhi for the 8th India-EU Summit during 2007 Portuguese Presidency of the EU, provided the much-needed boost to contemporary relations.
More recently, bilateral relations gathered steam with the reciprocal visits by PM António Costa and PM Narendra Modi in January and June 2017, respectively, followed by the visit of PM Antonio Costa in December 2019 and the State Visit of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to India in February 2020.
Today, India and Portugal have a strong trade partnership, and cooperation spans diverse sectors, including technology, science, education, and health. The impact of this diplomatic milestone is best exemplified by the remarkable growth in trade volume, approximating US$1,204.41 million (according to 2022-2023 data). Major Indian exports to Portugal include textiles, metals, chemicals, plastic, rubber, footwear, and leather, while major Portuguese exports to India include metals, minerals, paper and pulp, wood and cork, and optical and precision instruments.
India has many opportunities to increase trade with Portugal, though this has not been able to grow at the desired level due to several obstacles. The interest of a Portuguese manufacturer in setting up an olive oil bottling plant in Goa, is, therefore, a step in the right direction.
Apart from commercial relations, the two countries have also secured a trajectory for growing people-to-people connections over the years. An MoU on cultural cooperation was signed on 24th June, 2017 during PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Portugal. A large number of cultural performances, youth and literary exchanges, seminars, art exhibitions etc have also been held across Portugal in the last few years. Organisations like the Lusophone Society of Goa (LSG) have played an important role in promoting and supporting the Lusophone culture (Portuguese-speaking people, region, and countries) in Goa and pursuing projects related to the Portuguese language and Lusophone cultures in the fields of arts, charity, education, science and technology.
One of the significant aspects of cross-cultural relations between India and Portugal is growing academic relations. Every year, scores of students from both countries take part in the student exchange programs where Indian students visit Portugal and Portuguese students visit India, which provides them with an unparalleled journey of cultural immersion. Opportunities like these provide the younger generation with a new cultural and learning environment, while aiming to create culturally conscious citizens with a global outlook.
The Goan diaspora community is also growing in Portugal. According to figures available in the public domain, the Indian community in Portugal is estimated to number around 1,25,000. This includes 35,902 Indian nationals (as per the latest official data from Portuguese Border & Immigration Services- SEF) and an estimated 90,000 persons of Indian origin including 10,519 OCI card holders, belonging to different walks of life. Many Goans living in Portugal frequently maintain a strong connection to Goa, be it through religious events (as was witnessed during the latest Exposition) or celebrations back home.
All in all, for India-Portugal ties, the potential is vast, and there are hardly any significant challenges apart from the dual citizenship problem. The future of India-Portugal relations are bright and ties between the two nations are expected to grow even stronger. In order to ensure the longevity of their partnership for the next 50 years, it is hoped that both countries will understand their mutual interests and undertake initiatives to take bilateral ties to the next level. By doing so, India and Portugal can ensure their alliance remains relevant and resilient in the face of a changing global landscape.
( Anish Esteves works for a start-up based in Mumbai. He has written for several reputable publications and is a member of the International Group for Studies of the Colonial Periodical Press of the Portuguese Empire (IGSCP-PE), a group that focuses on the role of the colonial periodical press in the development and linking of modern cultural and political concepts and realities. He is on X @AEthejourno.)