Report on India-Venezuela Bilateral Cooperation and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Introduction: Strengthening South-South Cooperation for Sustainable Development

A high-level diplomatic engagement between India and Venezuela from September 14-17, 2025, has resulted in an agreement to initiate pilot projects in key development sectors. The visit of Mr. Raul Hernandez, Venezuela’s Vice-Minister for the Development of Information and Communication Technologies, to New Delhi signifies a strengthening of bilateral ties, with a focus on leveraging partnerships to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly under the framework of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Key Areas of Cooperation and SDG Linkages

Discussions between Vice-Minister Hernandez and Indian officials, including Secretary (East) P. Kumaran of the Ministry of External Affairs, identified several priority areas for collaboration. These initiatives are directly aligned with multiple SDGs.

• Health and Well-being (SDG 3): The partnership in the pharmaceutical sector is a cornerstone of the relationship. India currently supplies approximately 40% of Venezuela’s annual pharmaceutical requirements, valued at around $110 million in 2024-25. This cooperation is critical for ensuring access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, directly supporting targets under SDG 3. India’s provision of medicines on a grant basis for emergency needs further underscores this commitment.
• Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture (SDG 2): Concurrent discussions between Indian Ambassador P.K. Ashok Babu and Venezuela’s Minister for Agriculture and Lands, Julio Leon Heredia, focused on cooperation in agriculture and livestock. These efforts aim to enhance food production and build resilient agricultural systems, contributing to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).
• Innovation, Infrastructure, and Strong Institutions (SDG 9 & 16): A significant outcome of the visit is the plan to implement pilot projects based on India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). This initiative promotes SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by fostering technological advancement. By exploring systems like:
  1. UIDAI (AADHAR Digital Identity)
  2. NeGD (DigiLocker)
  3. AI BHASHINI

  Venezuela aims to build more effective and inclusive institutions, a key objective of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).

• Quality Education and Decent Work (SDG 4 & 8): Venezuela expressed keen interest in capacity building and training for its technical personnel in Artificial Intelligence and related fields. This collaboration supports SDG 4 (Quality Education) by providing specialized technical training and promotes SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by enhancing the skills of the workforce.

Economic and Strategic Context

The bilateral trade between India and Venezuela stood at approximately $1.8 billion in 2024-25, with Indian exports at $216 million and imports at $1.6 billion. The deepening of this partnership, particularly in technology and essential goods, is viewed as a strategic move by Venezuela to diversify its international collaborations. This proactive engagement reinforces the principles of South-South cooperation, enabling developing nations to share knowledge, resources, and solutions to address common development challenges in alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights several areas of cooperation between India and Venezuela that directly connect to multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Based on the text, the following SDGs are addressed:

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger – This is addressed through the discussion of cooperation in the agriculture and livestock sectors.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – The article explicitly mentions the supply of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and essential medicines from India to Venezuela to address shortages.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – This goal is central to the discussions on digital public infrastructure, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and information and communication technologies.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – The entire article is a testament to this goal, detailing a bilateral partnership (South-South cooperation) between India and Venezuela to achieve development objectives.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Specific targets can be identified for each of the SDGs mentioned above:

1. Under SDG 2 (Zero Hunger):
   • Target 2.a: “Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant and livestock gene banks in order to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries…” The article’s mention of “India-Venezuela cooperation in agriculture and livestock sectors” directly aligns with this target of enhancing agricultural capacity through international cooperation.
2. Under SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being):
   • Target 3.b: “Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and non-communicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines…” The article states that India is “supplying vaccines and essential medicines” and catering to “almost 40 percent of Venezuela’s annual requirement” of pharmaceuticals to address “critical medicine shortages and high costs,” which directly supports this target.
3. Under SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure):
   • Target 9.b: “Support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries…” The cooperation on “Digital Public Infrastructure and AI” and Venezuela’s keenness to “send its technical personnel for courses in India” for “Training and capacity building in AI” are clear examples of supporting domestic technology development and innovation through partnership.
   • Target 9.c: “Significantly increase access to information and communications technology…” The focus on “Development of Information and Communication Technologies” and the sharing of digital systems like AADHAR and DigiLocker aim to enhance Venezuela’s access to and use of ICT.
4. Under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals):
   • Target 17.6: “Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms…” The partnership between India and Venezuela is a prime example of South-South cooperation focusing on technology (AI, digital infrastructure) and knowledge sharing.
   • Target 17.9: “Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the sustainable development goals…” India’s offer of “Training and capacity building in AI” for Venezuelan technical personnel is a direct form of targeted capacity-building to support Venezuela’s development plans.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article contains several explicit and implicit indicators that can measure progress:

• For SDG 2 & 17: The implementation and success of “pilot projects in… agriculture” and the outcomes of the “cooperation in agriculture and livestock sectors” serve as direct indicators of progress.
• For SDG 3: The article provides quantitative indicators for measuring access to medicines.
  • The value of pharmaceuticals supplied: “$110 million in pharma products to Venezuela during 2024-’25.”
  • The proportion of national demand met: “India catering to almost 40 percent of Venezuela’s annual requirement.”
  • The provision of aid: “supplying vaccines and essential medicines, on grant, to meet Venezuela’s emergency requirements.”
• For SDG 9 & 17: Progress can be measured through several actions mentioned.
  • The establishment of “pilot projects in… digital public infrastructure.”
  • The number of “technical personnel” from Venezuela sent for “Training and capacity building in AI” in India.
  • The adoption or development of systems based on Indian models like “AADHAR Digital identity system, NeGD for DigiLocker, and AI BHASHINI.”
• For SDG 17: The overall health of the partnership can be measured by indicators such as:
  • The total value of bilateral trade: “In 2024-’25, India-Venezuela bilateral trade was around $1.8 billion.”
  • The frequency and level of diplomatic engagements, such as the visit of the “Vice-Minister for the Development of Information and Communication Technologies of Venezuela.”

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: thehindu.com