This article covers trade between India and Colombia, the goods each country sells to the other, investment in both directions, hydrocarbon cooperation, Indian companies operating in Colombia and export promotion activity. All figures and facts are drawn from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) bilateral brief of June 2026.

Trade figures

According to the MEA brief of June 2026, bilateral trade grew steadily until 2014, when it reached approximately USD 4 billion, largely because of oil imports by India from Colombia. After the global slump in oil prices affected Colombian oil exports, bilateral trade declined in 2015 and 2016. From 2017, it started growing again.

The brief gives the following recent figures:

  • 2024-25: bilateral trade of USD 4.72 billion, with exports from India to Colombia of USD 1.47 billion and imports from Colombia to India of USD 3.25 billion.
  • FY 2025-26: bilateral trade of USD 4.7 billion, with exports from India to Colombia of USD 1.8 billion and imports from Colombia to India of USD 2.9 billion.

The brief states that imports from Colombia rose over the last 3 financial years, except FY 2025-26, because of increasing demand for oil from Colombia.

Main items traded

India's imports from Colombia mainly comprise mineral fuels such as oil and coal, gold, precious stones led by emeralds, aluminium, zinc, wood (teak) and plastic.

India's main exports to Colombia include vehicles such as motorcycles, engineering goods, chemicals, cotton, pharmaceuticals, and iron and steel products.

Investment

As of the June 2026 brief, Colombian investment in India is estimated at approximately USD 5 million. Indian investment in Colombia is estimated at USD 500 million. This figure excludes the investment of ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), including its joint venture with Mansarovar, which totals approximately USD 1.5 billion.

Indian investment in Colombia is mainly in the oil, automobile, agro-chemicals, IT and pharmaceuticals sectors.

Hydrocarbon cooperation

India and Colombia have an MoU for cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector, dating from 2008. Under it, on 24 April 2020, the two countries held the first virtual Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting between the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas of the Government of India and the Ministry of Mines and Energy of the Government of Colombia.

Indian companies in Colombia

The brief says Indian companies in Colombia are mainly concentrated in the oil, IT, pharmaceutical, agrochemicals, infrastructure and two-wheeler sectors. OVL is the only Indian public sector enterprise in Colombia. It has both independent operations and a joint venture with the Chinese company Sinopec called Mansarovar Energy Colombia Ltd (MECL).

Companies named in the brief include:

  • Technology, IT and ITES: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tech Mahindra, Mahindra Comviva, Infosys, Wipro, IGT Services and Technologies Colombia SAS, Quadratyx, TraQIQ, Hinduja Global Solutions, Zensar, Zoho Corporation and Movate SAS
  • Pharmaceuticals: IPCA, CIPLA, Aurobindo Pharma, Dr. Reddy's, MSN Labs, RTM innovex, Ascend and Accord
  • Agrochemicals: United Phosphorus Limited and Sharda Cropchem Ltd
  • Automobiles and tractors: TVS, Bajaj, Hero, Sonalika, Mahindra, Uno Minda and Royal Enfield
  • Plastics and packing: Essel Propack
  • Infrastructure: Shapoorji Pallonji and Jindal Steel
  • LEDs: Lighting Havell's Sylvania

Operations and plants

OVL started operations in 2008 and MEL in 2006. OVL continues both exploration and production of oil in Colombia, while MEL operations in the Nare contract association terminated in November 2021.

Other Indian industrial activity recorded in the brief includes:

  • Praj industries has constructed ethanol plants in the Valle del Cauca region.
  • Thermax Limited installed a biomass boiler for Nestle Colombia in Bugalagrande in Valle de Cauca and supplied pollution control equipment to Ingenio Incauca. It has ongoing projects for supplies of equipment to various Colombian companies.
  • Hero Moto Corp inaugurated its motorcycle plant in Villa Rica (Cauca), near Cali, in 2015.
  • Essel Propack set up its packaging factory in the same region in 2016.
  • Bajaj has its main assembly unit in the city of Medellin and a three-wheeler assembly plant in Barranquilla.
  • UPL has its agrochemicals manufacturing plant in Barranquilla.
  • In August 2021, Royal Enfield announced the opening of an assembly plant in Envigado, Antioquia, its second such plant outside India.

Business meetings and trade fairs

From FYs 2020-21 to 2024-25, more than 90 physical and virtual B2B meets and Buyer Seller Meets (BSMs) were organised between Indian delegations and Colombian chambers of commerce, buyers and importers. The Indian delegations were led by export promotion councils and chambers of commerce such as AEPC, Pharmexcil, CAPEXIL, SEPC, GJEPC, FIEO, ESEPC, EEPC, Indian Chamber of Commerce, Chemexcil, EPCH, Plexconcil, SRTEPC and Texprocil.

The sectors covered included pharmaceuticals, textiles, gems and jewellery, renewable energy, steel, ceramics, printing and publishing, information technology and services. Delegations of Indian textile companies led by Matexil and Texprocil take part in Colombiatex, which the brief calls the flagship textile event of Colombia. Indian manufacturers of electronics and electrical goods, construction materials and auto spare parts have also taken part in flagship Colombian fairs.