During the presidential visit to India in early April, Chile announced the start of negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with food importers.
Chile’s state visit to India took place between April 1 and 6, with a multi-sector delegation led by President Gabriel Boric and composed of government officials, the Chilean Exports Promotion Bureau (ProChile), the Chilean Economic Development Agency (CORFO), InvestChile, as well as business community representatives. In New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, Chile deployed an intense political and trade agenda to strengthen bilateral relations, diversify exports, and penetrate the Indian market.
Given the prospects of India becoming a new trade destination for Chilean products, key sectors such as agri-food, services, and creative industries have caught the Asian country’s interest. One of the industries that attracted the most interest was pork and poultry, given the primary needs of the local market: India has over one billion meat eaters, with cows considered sacred, a limited local pork production, and a growing demand for safe and high-quality food.
Juan Carlos Domínguez, President of ChileCarne joined the delegation and noted that “with 1.4 billion people, India should quickly become the world’s third-largest economy. This is why our country must focus on new market openings, finding new and better places to sell our products and reduce dependance on third countries. There’s no debate about opening new markets; it’s part of a national policy to continue developing our cherished agriculture. Even more so today, in the face of growing global uncertainty driven by trade tensions and tariff wars, openness must remain the priority.”
Agreements and conventions between Chile and India
During his visit, President Boric met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where they announced the official start of negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The meeting marked the formal launch of a process to strengthen and update bilateral economic ties —currently regulated by a partial agreement from 2007— starting a new chapter in the economic relationship between Chile and India.
For ChileCarne, the visit represents concrete progress in the health authorization process to enter a priority market with high potential for growth and an increasing demand for quality food. “The private sector longed for the President to make this visit and build bridges. The start of these talks is great news, a positive sign that could bring tariffs down and facilitate the entry of new products into this huge market. For a country like Chile, where agriculture’s development depends largely on exports, having more and better destinations is key,” said Domínguez.
Another concrete milestone of the visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between ProChile and the Forum of Indian Food Importers (FIFI). The agreement signed in Mumbai aims to drive exports of Chilean food and beverage to the Indian market facilitating the collaboration between both organizations to organize events, exchange information, and build connections between importers and exporters. “Chile is keen on strengthening food exports to India; this is a dynamic economy with a growing consumer market, which, according to international organizations like the FAO and the OECD, will account for nearly a fifth of global food demand growth over the next decade,” said ProChile’s Director General, Ignacio Fernández.
A new boost for Chilean agriculture
The announcements made it clear that one of the industries with the highest potential to leverage this new era is agri-food. India is not only a market with a growing and increasingly demanding population, but also an economy trying to increase food security through agreements with reliable countries that comply with high standards. Chilean agriculture played a prominent role in the official delegation and the trade promotion activities carried out during the visit.
Chile’s Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela, who was also part of the delegation, praised the agricultural sector’s role in this new bilateral initiative: “We want to boost cooperation, trade, and the cultural and political exchange between Chile and India. Chile has been very important, as it was the first Latin American country to recognize India’s independence (…) And our agricultural sector has structural trade with India. We export around 300 million USD in agricultural and forestry products,” he stated. But we want to grow further, and that’s why our sector is so important in this visit.”
The Indian meat market: Key data to understand its potential
India became the sixth largest destination for Chilean exports in 2024, with shipments worth over 2.5 billion USD, an 86% increase from the previous year. Although significant tariff-related challenges persist, the country is expected to become a strategic destination for meat exporters, especially in premium segments. With a growing urban population, a more demanding middle class, and new sales channels, meat consumption in India opens a real window of opportunity for Chile.
- 77% of the Indian population (1.04 billion) eats meat, although mostly in small quantities and on a weekly basis.
- Poultry represents 80% of consumption and more than 50% of local meat production.
- Beef and lamb consumption is growing steadily; pork, on the other hand, is locally underdeveloped and relies on imports.
- New sales channels are becoming established: supermarkets, delivery apps, and e-commerce.
- Platforms such as Meatigo, Licious, and BigBasket concentrate meat sales in urban areas.
- Opportunities for Chile: Supplying premium segments with pork and poultry, especially in cities and food service chains.
