HAVANA, Cuba: When India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita called on Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez in Havana on Tuesday, it was far more than a ceremonial visit. It was a reaffirmation of an old friendship quietly adapting to the realities of a multipolar world one where the Global South is reasserting its voice in shaping global governance, economic models, and digital transitions.
A Visit with Symbolism and Strategy
In diplomatic terms, the visit marked continuity. But in strategic terms, it represented renewal. Margherita’s meeting with President Díaz-Canel, and his visit to the Fidel Castro Centre, signaled both respect for shared historical ideals and a pragmatic push to modernize cooperation in areas such as healthcare, biotechnology, digital public infrastructure, and capacity building.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs underscored this focus, noting that discussions would explore ways to translate decades of political goodwill into tangible outcomes aligned with contemporary needs. For New Delhi, Cuba offers not only a partner in Latin America but also a potential collaborator in biotech innovation, pharmaceutical production, and digital transformation sectors where India’s own global reputation is on the rise.
Historical Depth of India–Cuba Relations
India and Cuba’s diplomatic ties stretch back 65 years, anchored in solidarity during the formative years of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). In 1959, India was among the first nations to recognize Cuba’s new government after the revolution, and the iconic visit of Ernesto “Che” Guevara to India later that year laid the foundation for mutual respect between two postcolonial nations determined to assert independence in global affairs.
The ideological alignment of Jawaharlal Nehru and Fidel Castro in the 1960s symbolized the spirit of NAM, a call for sovereignty, equality, and peace amid Cold War polarization. While global geopolitics has evolved dramatically since then, that moral legacy remains deeply embedded in both countries’ diplomatic consciousness.
Renewing Cooperation in the Global South
Today, as both India and Cuba navigate shifting global currents, their partnership is finding new purpose within the architecture of the Global South.Cuba’s experience in medical research and community health complements India’s leadership in affordable medicine, vaccine diplomacy, and digital health ecosystems. Collaborations in Ayurveda and traditional medicine, combined with Cuba’s excellence in biotechnology, could open new frontiers for public health cooperation.
Moreover, Cuba’s recent moves to integrate with digital economies resonate with India’s own Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) model, which has transformed access to financial and governance services across vast populations. India’s willingness to share its digital expertise aligns with Havana’s goal to modernize without surrendering social equity, a balance few nations manage to achieve.
Latin America and India’s Expanding Footprint
Margherita’s stop in Havana followed his participation in the inauguration of Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz Pereira, underscoring India’s deepening outreach to Latin America a region often overlooked in South Asian diplomacy but increasingly important in energy, trade, and multilateral politics.
From Venezuela’s oil reserves to Brazil’s green technology and Cuba’s medical innovation, the region presents a wide canvas for cooperation. India’s expanding presence reflects an emerging strategy to engage the Global South as equal partners, not merely as markets or resource hubs.
The NAM Legacy and New Geopolitics
While the Non-Aligned Movement may appear an artifact of a bygone era, its underlying philosophy strategic autonomy is resurfacing in the 21st century. Both India and Cuba have maintained foreign policies rooted in sovereignty and balance, resisting the binary pressures of major power blocs.
In a world fractured by great power rivalry from Ukraine to Gaza, from trade wars to technology races the voices of countries like India and Cuba represent a moral and diplomatic counterbalance. Their continued engagement in NAM and the UN reflects a shared commitment to multipolarity, peace, and development justice.
Beyond Sentiment: Toward a Practical Partnership
For the India–Cuba relationship to remain relevant, it must move beyond the nostalgia of NAM solidarity. The next phase demands economic pragmatism, technological cooperation, and people-centric diplomacy. Cuba’s health and education models remain instructive, while India’s expertise in scalable innovation and entrepreneurship offers pathways for joint progress.
In essence, Margherita’s Havana visit serves as a reminder that diplomacy between historic allies must evolve from sentiment to substance, from shared ideals to shared solutions.
A Quiet But Powerful Signal
As global polarization deepens, the renewal of ties between New Delhi and Havana sends a quiet but powerful message: the Global South is not waiting for permission to define its own future.
Through visits like these respectful, forward-looking, and rooted in shared history India and Cuba are writing the next chapter of South–South cooperation. It’s a partnership grounded in trust, resilience, and reinvention precisely the values the world needs most today.
-WNN
