Wed Sep 17 20:13:02 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

Venezuela’s Vice-Minister for Development of Information and Communications Technology, Raul Hernandez, visited India from September 14-17, 2025, to discuss bilateral cooperation in several sectors. India plans to initiate pilot projects in Venezuela focusing on agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and digital public infrastructure. Discussions also covered training and capacity building in AI, space, pharmaceuticals, and tourism. Hernandez met with key Indian officials and institutions involved in digital governance and identity systems. The visit coincided with increased tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela. While bilateral trade between India and Venezuela stands at approximately $1.8 billion, India is a significant supplier of pharmaceuticals to Venezuela. Experts suggest that Venezuela’s engagement with India is partly driven by the U.S.’s aggressive policies.

**News Article:**

**India to Launch Pilot Projects in Venezuela Amid Rising US Tensions**

**New Delhi, September 18, 2025:** India is set to launch pilot projects in Venezuela in key sectors such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and digital public infrastructure, following a visit from Venezuelan Vice-Minister for Development of Information and Communications Technology, Raul Hernandez.

The four-day visit, which concluded yesterday, saw Hernandez meeting with Secretary (East) P. Kumaran of the Ministry of External Affairs, as well as representatives from prominent Indian institutions including the National Institute of Smart Governance (NISG) and UIDAI, the authority behind the AADHAR digital identity system. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly in the areas of Digital Public Infrastructure and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

“Both sides agreed to carry out pilot projects in the priority areas of Venezuela,” stated an official source, adding that Venezuela expressed interest in sending technical personnel to India for training in AI and related fields. Other areas of discussion included space, pharmaceuticals, and tourism.

The visit comes at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela. Some analysts suggest that the current political climate is a factor in Venezuela’s increasing engagement with India.

Bilateral trade between India and Venezuela stands at $1.8 billion. India is a critical supplier of pharmaceuticals to Venezuela, accounting for roughly 40% of the country’s annual needs. India has also provided vaccines and essential medicines to Venezuela on grant.

“Testing the waters for strengthening cooperation between Caracas and Delhi is a consequence of the aggressive policy of the United States,” commented Mikhail Ilevich, a Latin America researcher at the Centre for Scientific and Analytical Information of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow.

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