Bilateral trade has fluctuated considerably, with crude oil accounting for a substantial share of Ecuador’s exports to India. What opportunities do you see for diversifying the trade basket, particularly for Ecuadorian products such as cacao, shrimp, coffee, fruits, processed foods and minerals?

Diversification is probably our most important commercial challenge. Oil and gold have contributed significantly to Ecuadorian exports to India, but their weight can also make bilateral trade figures volatile. We therefore need to create a broader and more stable commercial relationship.

There are already encouraging examples. Ecuadorian teak has established an important presence in the Indian market, demonstrating that products outside our traditional mineral and energy exports can successfully develop sustained demand in India. This is precisely the kind of experience we should replicate in other sectors.

Cacao offers another significant opportunity. Some of the earliest archaeological evidence of cacao use and domestication has been found in the Amazonian region of present-day Ecuador more than 5,000 years ago, and today Ecuador is internationally renowned for its fine-aroma cacao. Premium chocolate, coffee, fruits, processed foods and other specialty products also deserve greater attention.

Shrimp requires a more nuanced approach. India itself is one of the world’s major producers and exporters of shrimp, as is Ecuador. We should therefore not look at India simply as a large destination for Ecuadorian shrimp, but examine specific market segments, changing consumer preferences and possibilities for cooperation in processing, technology, aquaculture and value addition. Our two industries can be competitors in some international markets, but that does not exclude areas of complementarity and cooperation.

Minerals, particularly copper, introduce another strategic dimension. India’s industrial expansion and energy transition will require increasing supplies of strategic resources, while Ecuador possesses significant mineral potential.

The broader objective should be to move progressively from a trade relationship concentrated in a few commodities towards one involving a much wider range of products, technologies and investments.

Ecuador’s export-promotion agency, PRO ECUADOR, has identified India as a market with significant growth potential. Which sectors or Ecuadorian products would you most like to see Indian businesses and consumers discover over the next three to five years?

India unquestionably remains a market of considerable strategic interest for Ecuador.

I should clarify that PRO ECUADOR previously maintained a commercial office in Mumbai, which was subsequently closed for budgetary reasons. This was an administrative and financial decision and should not be interpreted as a reduction in the importance Ecuador attaches to the Indian market.

In practice, our Embassy has therefore assumed an increasingly active role in commercial promotion, working directly with Ecuadorian exporters, Indian importers, chambers of commerce and business organizations.

Over the next three to five years, I would particularly like to see greater recognition in India of Ecuadorian fine-aroma cacao and premium chocolate, coffee, fruits and processed foods, flowers, and sustainable wood products. Teak is particularly interesting because Ecuadorian teak has already demonstrated its ability to develop a significant market in India.

At the same time, we need to look beyond exports and promote Indian investment in Ecuador, particularly in sectors where India has strong capabilities and Ecuador offers significant opportunities, including pharmaceuticals, information technology, renewable energy, automotive industries, agro-industry and manufacturing.

In this context, Ecuador is also working towards the establishment of an Honorary Consulate in Mumbai. Given Mumbai’s importance as India’s financial and business capital, we believe that an active Honorary Consulate could become a useful platform for strengthening contacts with the private sector, identifying business opportunities, and supporting the promotion of both Ecuadorian exports and Indian investment in Ecuador.

But there is another dimension: the Ecuador brand itself. Many Indian consumers know the Galápagos Islands, but often know relatively little about the country behind them. Commercial promotion, tourism and cultural diplomacy should reinforce each other. When consumers understand where a product comes from, its history, biodiversity, quality and culture become part of its value.

Our objective over the next few years should therefore be not simply to sell more products in India, but to make Ecuador better known as a source of high-quality products, a tourism destination and an attractive partner for trade and investment.