India Offers Expertise to SICA Countries

On 25th September 2025, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar offered India’s expertise in digital payments, information technology, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture to Central American countries during the Fifth India-SICA Foreign Ministers Meeting.

The Central American Integration System (SICA) is the institutional framework of Regional Integration in Central America, created by the States of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. Subsequently, Belize and Dominican Republic joined as a full members.

Key Points

Shared Challenges: EAM highlighted that India and SICA countries face similar challenges in development, poverty alleviation, and climate change, and collaboration can address these effectively.
Areas of Cooperation: India aims to strengthen partnerships in digital technology, renewable energy, food and health security, and climate action.
Digital Payments Support: India offered the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system, which ensures seamless, real-time, and secure fund transfers; currently, more than half of global cashless payments take place in India.
Private Sector Engagement: Indian businesses are interested in investing in SICA countries in sectors like agriculture, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, and information technology.
Climate and Energy Collaboration: India highlighted cooperation in solar energy, green hydrogen, and bioenergy to support climate action initiatives in the region.