This article describes the cultural, educational and people-to-people links between India and Costa Rica: the study of India and Sanskrit, training for Costa Rican officials and the IT centre of excellence, cultural exchanges, yoga, Gandhi commemorations, food, and the Indian community in Costa Rica, including the Costa Rica India Association. It is drawn from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) brief of June 2026.

Indian studies and Sanskrit

According to the MEA brief of June 2026, Costa Rica's interest in Indian culture dates to Prof. Hilda Chen Apuy, who introduced Indian history, philosophy and Sanskrit at the University of Costa Rica (UCR) after a UNESCO visit in the 1950s. Prof. Adriana Molina later taught Sanskrit.

A Chair of Indian Studies was announced during the Vice-President of India's visit in March 2019; the brief does not say whether it has since been filled. Outreach now includes Prof. Roberto Morales Harley's Sanskrit primer and the "Little Guru" Sanskrit app (2021).

ITEC training

India offers training to Costa Rican officials under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, which has allotted 25 training slots to Costa Rica. In FY 2025-26, Costa Rica utilised 15 slots. In 2023-24, seven Costa Rican officials took part in a microgrid and renewable-energy course conducted by NTPC Ltd. in New Delhi under ITEC.

Centre of Excellence in Information Technology

A Centre of Excellence in Information Technology (CEIT) was set up by C-DAC at the National Technical University (UTN) in Alajuela in February 2016. APTECH deputed one head and two trainers from May 2016 to April 2018, and the Centre has functioned with local faculty since October 2018.

Cultural exchanges

The brief describes cultural exchanges as active. Examples it gives include:

  • 2008: President Óscar Arias launched the Spanish edition of Gandhi's autobiography.
  • March-April 2014: Former President and Nobel Laureate Mr. Óscar Arias Sánchez visited India under the ICCR Distinguished Visitors' Programme.
  • 2014-15: illustrator Wen Hsu and journalist Luis Alberto Muñoz toured India.
  • October 2015: an ICCR-supported Kuchipudi troupe performed at the National Theatre.
  • March 2022: Indian-Costa Rican actor-producer Prabhakar Sharan signed five joint-venture films with Eros International at EXPOCOMER Panama.

Yoga

The International Day of Yoga has drawn around 300 participants annually since 2015. A decree of 26 October 2018 declared yoga and meditation to be in the public interest and introduced yoga in school curricula, guided by ASOYOGA and the Costa Rica India Association (CRIA).

Gandhi commemorations

The commemoration of Gandhi's 150th anniversary in October 2018 featured a rendition of "Vaishnav Jan To". During his visit in May 2026 for the presidential inauguration, Minister of State Shri Pabitra Margherita inaugurated a "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (the world is one family) wall and paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at the University for Peace in San José. He also planted a sapling under the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" initiative and met the Indian community.

Food

Culinary ties include at least ten Indian restaurants in Costa Rica, notably "Naans & Curries" and "Taj Mahal". "Naans & Curries" won ICCR's Annapurna award in 2023.

The Indian community

About 1,000 Indians and persons of Indian origin live in Costa Rica. Owing to Costa Rica's proximity to the United States and the presence of multinationals such as Intel, a number of IT professionals, including about 1,000 persons from India, are employed in the country's IT industry. The Indian diaspora also includes businessmen engaged in the export of wood, people working with NGOs, and the Missionaries of Charity.

The Costa Rica India Association (CRIA), established in 2010, has been active in organising social and cultural activities in collaboration with the Indian Embassy, including festive events around Diwali, as well as the yoga programme mentioned above.