India-Cuba Relations Explained

India-Cuba relations are the long-standing bilateral partnership between the Republic of India and the Republic of Cuba, built on shared Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) solidarity, anti-colonial politics, development cooperation and, in more recent decades, collaboration in biotechnology and medicine. The two countries are separated by half the planet and trade only modest volumes of goods, yet the political bond between New Delhi and Havana has stayed unusually warm across six decades.

Leaders in both capitals have often described the friendship in intimate terms, and the phrase about Havana and Delhi being like “two hands of one person” is frequently quoted when the relationship is discussed. This explainer sets out the history, the main areas of cooperation, the limits of the partnership and the factors that are likely to shape it. It was last reviewed on 17 October 2026.

Key Takeaways

• India-Cuba relations date to the period immediately after the 1959 Cuban Revolution, and both countries were founding-era supporters of the Non-Aligned Movement.
• Fidel Castro handed the NAM chair to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at the 1983 New Delhi summit, an event that remains the emotional high point of India-Cuba relations.
• India has repeatedly voted in the United Nations General Assembly in favour of resolutions calling for an end to the United States embargo on Cuba.
• Indian humanitarian support to Cuba has included food items such as wheat or rice, medicines and medical supplies, especially in periods of economic hardship.
• Indian biopharmaceutical company Biocon and Cuba’s Centre of Molecular Immunology developed the monoclonal antibody itolizumab together.
• Bilateral trade between India and Cuba is modest, and the relationship is driven more by political goodwill and health and technology cooperation than by commerce.

What are India-Cuba relations and why do they matter?

India-Cuba relations are a political and developmental partnership between two Global South countries that share a record of non-alignment, support for decolonisation and scepticism of great-power blocs. They matter because they show how India has maintained friendships with countries outside its immediate neighbourhood on the basis of principle and solidarity rather than trade volume.

For Cuba, a small Caribbean island under decades of economic sanctions, India offers a large, democratic and non-aligned partner that does not make political demands in return for cooperation. For India, Cuba is a dependable voice in the United Nations, a respected centre of medical science and a symbol of the NAM tradition that Indian foreign policy helped to shape.

The relationship is also a useful case study in how Indian diplomacy treats Latin America and the Caribbean. India’s engagement with the region has grown in recent years, but countries such as Cuba were part of India’s world view long before energy, trade and technology became the main drivers of outreach.

How did India-Cuba relations begin?

India-Cuba relations began in the months after the Cuban Revolution of January 1959, when India under Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru recognised and engaged with the new revolutionary government in Havana. The early contact was shaped by common ideas about national sovereignty, independence from external control and the rights of newly liberated countries.

In mid-1959 Ernesto “Che” Guevara, then one of the most prominent figures of the Cuban government, travelled to India as part of a wider tour. He met Nehru in New Delhi and visited institutions and projects that interested the revolutionary leadership, including industrial and agricultural undertakings. The visit is still remembered in both countries as a symbol of the early understanding between the two governments.

Cuba was among the countries that joined the NAM at its inception in 1961 under the leadership of Nehru, Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and Sukarno of Indonesia, although Cuba’s own ideological alignment in the Cold War later raised questions inside the movement. India remained supportive of Cuba’s right to choose its own political and economic system.

What role did the Non-Aligned Movement play?

The Non-Aligned Movement has been the single most important political platform linking India and Cuba, because it gave both countries a shared institutional home for coordinating positions on decolonisation, disarmament, development and a more balanced international economic order. Cuba hosted the NAM Summit in Havana in 1979 and held the chair until 1983, and again hosted the summit in 2006.

India hosted the Seventh NAM Summit in New Delhi in March 1983, and Fidel Castro, as the outgoing chair, formally handed the chairmanship to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The scene of the two leaders embracing at the conference became an enduring image in Indian diplomatic history. Castro’s visits to India in 1973 and 1983 are still cited as evidence of his personal respect for Indian leaders.

It was around this time that the language of close kinship became part of the relationship. The remark that India and Cuba are like two hands of the same person is often attributed to the Cuban side and has been repeated at ministerial meetings and in speeches by Indian officials and Cuban diplomats.

After the Cold War, the NAM lost some of its earlier prominence, but India and Cuba have continued to consult within the grouping and in related forums such as the Group of 77 (G77), the developing-country caucus at the United Nations that Cuba chaired in 2023, when it hosted a G77 and China summit in Havana.

What has India done to support Cuba in hard times?

India has supported Cuba in difficult periods mainly through humanitarian aid, food supplies, medicines, lines of credit and capacity building, with the exact scale varying from one period to another. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, Cuba entered what it called the Special Period, a time of severe shortages of food, fuel and medical supplies.

Indian assistance in different phases has been reported to include wheat, rice, pharmaceuticals and other essential items, as well as a political willingness to continue engaging with Havana when many other governments were reducing contact. In later years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic stress that followed, India reportedly sent medical consumables such as syringes and other health items to Cuba.

It is worth stating the limits of this support. India has not been Cuba’s largest benefactor, and its resources for overseas aid are modest compared with major donors. The value of Indian help has been as much symbolic as financial, since it showed Cuban citizens and officials that a large democracy valued the friendship even while Cuba faced external pressure.

• Food and relief: Wheat and other staples have been offered or supplied on a government-to-government basis during hard periods.
• Health items: Medicines, medical consumables and equipment have been supplied or exported commercially to the Cuban health system.
• Lines of credit: India has extended concessional credit to Cuba for projects, including some related to rail equipment, at different times.
• Training: Cuban professionals have received places under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, run by the Ministry of External Affairs.

How does biotechnology cooperation work between India and Cuba?

Biotechnology cooperation between India and Cuba works mainly through partnerships between Cuban research institutes, which specialise in biologics and vaccines, and Indian pharmaceutical and biotech companies, which provide manufacturing scale and market access. Cuba has built a significant biotechnology sector since the 1980s, and its institutes have produced vaccines, diagnostics and cancer-related biologics despite limited funds.

The best-known example is the collaboration between Biocon, the Bengaluru-based biopharmaceutical company, and the Centre of Molecular Immunology (CIM) in Havana. The partnership produced itolizumab, a monoclonal antibody that Biocon markets in India for the skin condition psoriasis under the brand name Alzumab. The drug was also given restricted emergency use authorisation in India in 2020 for moderate to severe COVID-19 complications.

Other collaboration has taken place through agreements on regulatory cooperation, joint research, technology transfer and the exchange of scientists. Indian regulators and companies see Cuba as a source of innovative biologics, while Cuban institutes see India as a large manufacturer of affordable medicines and a potential channel into developing markets.

Further expansion depends on regulatory approvals, funding for clinical trials and the constraints created by banking restrictions on Cuba. These practical obstacles explain why some announced projects have progressed more slowly than the political rhetoric around them might suggest.

What is the state of India-Cuba trade and economic ties?

India-Cuba trade is small in absolute terms, usually amounting to a few tens of millions to a few hundred million US dollars a year depending on the period and the commodity, and it is dominated by pharmaceuticals, chemicals and food-related items. Cuba’s foreign exchange shortages, difficulties with international banking and the effects of US sanctions have all limited the growth of commercial ties.

India typically exports pharmaceutical products, medical consumables, machinery parts, textiles and some food items to Cuba. Cuba has at times sold sugar and its derivatives, biotechnology products and other goods to India, though the pattern has changed from year to year and no single product has dominated for long.

The US embargo on Cuba, in force since the early 1960s and strengthened by later legislation such as the Helms-Burton Act of 1996, discourages some Indian firms from entering the Cuban market because of exposure to the US financial system. Indian companies with large American operations are particularly cautious, which explains why the partnership works better in government-led and small-company projects than in large private investments.

Both governments have acknowledged these constraints and have tried to use alternative payment arrangements, credit lines and joint working groups to keep the economic relationship active.

How do India and Cuba cooperate in the United Nations?

India and Cuba cooperate in the United Nations by coordinating positions in the General Assembly and the G77 on development, sovereignty, disarmament and reform of global institutions. They generally support each other on issues of principle, and each has endorsed the other’s candidatures in international bodies on many occasions.

The most visible example is the annual vote on the resolution titled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”. India has voted in favour of this resolution consistently since the early 1990s, as have the great majority of UN members. The vote reflects India’s long-standing position that unilateral economic measures against a sovereign state are problematic.

Cuba has, in turn, expressed support for India’s aspiration to a permanent seat in a reformed United Nations Security Council. Both countries also take similar positions on the need for a more equitable international economic order and on greater representation for developing countries in global decision-making.

There are subjects on which their views differ in emphasis, including some security questions, but these differences have rarely become public disputes.

What else do India and Cuba share beyond politics and medicine?

Beyond politics and medicine, India and Cuba share cultural exchanges, education programmes and growing interest in each other’s traditions, particularly yoga, Indian classical arts and Cuban music, dance and sport. Cultural diplomacy has been an important part of Indian outreach, and the Indian Embassy in Havana has regularly organised events for International Day of Yoga and Indian cultural festivals.

India has supported training in information technology, including a computer-focused training centre in Havana set up with Indian assistance. Cuban students and professionals have benefited from scholarships and training places under ITEC and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Cuba has long exported medical expertise through its overseas doctor programmes and is known for community-based primary healthcare, a model of interest to many developing countries. Exchanges on public health, disaster preparedness and sports training add practical content to what could otherwise be a purely symbolic partnership.

What is the timeline of key moments in India-Cuba relations?

The timeline of India-Cuba relations moves from early revolutionary contact in 1959 to the NAM summit in 1983 and to cooperation on biotechnology and pandemic response in the twenty-first century. The table below lists major milestones that are widely recorded.

What challenges and opportunities lie ahead for India-Cuba relations?

The main challenges for India-Cuba relations are Cuba’s economic difficulties, the effect of US sanctions on banking and trade, and the large physical distance between the two countries, while the main opportunities lie in health, biotechnology, digital cooperation and shared positions in the Global South. These factors are likely to determine how far the partnership moves beyond goodwill.

On the economic side, payment mechanisms and credit security remain central concerns for Indian exporters. Wider engagement may be possible through government-backed projects, small and medium-sized enterprises and multilateral arrangements that reduce exposure to sanction risks.

On the strategic side, India balances its ties with Cuba against its large economic and security relationship with the United States. Indian policy-makers have generally treated these as separate matters, an approach consistent with India’s tradition of strategic autonomy. Observers differ on how much additional momentum can be generated, but few expect a rupture in the political friendship.

Several areas could add depth to the partnership over time:

• Joint clinical trials and regulatory recognition of Cuban biologics in India.
• Renewable energy and solar projects suited to Cuba’s electricity problems.
• Digital public infrastructure and IT training, building on the existing centre in Havana.
• More frequent high-level visits and annual foreign-office consultations.
• Cultural, tourism and sports exchanges to broaden people-to-people contact.

Bottom Line

India-Cuba relations are best understood as a durable political friendship anchored in non-alignment, supported by a few concrete areas of cooperation, mainly health and biotechnology, and limited by distance and sanctions. The partnership is unlikely to become a major trade relationship, but it remains a reliable and low-friction link between India and the Caribbean.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did India and Cuba establish diplomatic relations?

India and Cuba established diplomatic relations around 1959-1960, shortly after the Cuban Revolution. Che Guevara visited India in 1959 and met Prime Minister Nehru, and both countries later opened resident missions in each other’s capitals.

Why is the 1983 NAM summit important for India-Cuba relations?

The 1983 Non-Aligned Movement summit in New Delhi is important because Fidel Castro, as the outgoing chair, handed the chairmanship of the movement to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The public embrace between the two leaders became a lasting symbol of the closeness between India and Cuba.

How has India helped Cuba?

India has helped Cuba through humanitarian and food assistance, medicines and medical supplies, concessional credit and training places under the ITEC programme. The scale of help has varied by period, and its value has been political as well as material.

What is the Biocon and Cuba biotechnology partnership?

The Biocon and Cuba partnership is a collaboration between India’s Biocon and the Centre of Molecular Immunology in Havana to develop and market biologic medicines. Its best-known result is itolizumab, a monoclonal antibody sold in India as Alzumab for psoriasis and given limited emergency approval for COVID-19 complications in 2020.

Does India support the US embargo on Cuba?

No, India does not support the US embargo on Cuba and has consistently voted for the annual United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for it to be ended. India’s position is that unilateral economic sanctions on a sovereign state are not appropriate.

How big is trade between India and Cuba?

Trade between India and Cuba is small, typically in the range of tens of millions to a few hundred million US dollars a year, depending on the period. Indian pharmaceuticals and medical goods feature prominently, while banking and sanction-related obstacles restrict further growth.

{“@context”:”https://schema.org”,”@graph”:[{“@type”:”FAQPage”,”mainEntity”:[{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”When did India and Cuba establish diplomatic relations?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”India and Cuba established diplomatic relations around 1959-1960, shortly after the Cuban Revolution. Che Guevara visited India in 1959 and met Prime Minister Nehru, and both countries later opened resident missions in each other’s capitals.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Why is the 1983 NAM summit important for India-Cuba relations?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”The 1983 Non-Aligned Movement summit in New Delhi is important because Fidel Castro, as the outgoing chair, handed the chairmanship of the movement to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The public embrace between the two leaders became a lasting symbol of the closeness between India and Cuba.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”How has India helped Cuba?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”India has helped Cuba through humanitarian and food assistance, medicines and medical supplies, concessional credit and training places under the ITEC programme. The scale of help has varied by period, and its value has been political as well as material.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”What is the Biocon and Cuba biotechnology partnership?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”The Biocon and Cuba partnership is a collaboration between India’s Biocon and the Centre of Molecular Immunology in Havana to develop and market biologic medicines. Its best-known result is itolizumab, a monoclonal antibody sold in India as Alzumab for psoriasis and given limited emergency approval for COVID-19 complications in 2020.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Does India support the US embargo on Cuba?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”No, India does not support the US embargo on Cuba and has consistently voted for the annual United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for it to be ended. India’s position is that unilateral economic sanctions on a sovereign state are not appropriate.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”How big is trade between India and Cuba?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”Trade between India and Cuba is small, typically in the range of tens of millions to a few hundred million US dollars a year, depending on the period. Indian pharmaceuticals and medical goods feature prominently, while banking and sanction-related obstacles restrict further growth.”}}]}]}