This article covers India's cooperation with the Dominican Republic (DR) in training and capacity building, humanitarian and health assistance, science and technology, disaster-resilient infrastructure and defence contacts. It is based on the MEA bilateral brief of July 2026 and uses the figures the brief gives.

Training under ITEC

According to the MEA brief of July 2026, the Government of India has offered annual slots to the Dominican Republic under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme since 1999. Currently 25 annual slots are offered, together with customised, area-specific courses under ITEC.

Special courses recorded in the brief include:

  • a customised course on Cyber Security and Malware Analytics at C-DAC, Mohali, in Nov-Dec 2022, attended by 18 Dominican professionals
  • a special course on Remote Sensing at IIRS, Dehradun, in Jan-Mar 2023, attended by 14 Dominican professionals
  • a Special Course on Responsible Artificial Intelligence at CDAC Delhi from 1-12 July 2024, with 12 Dominican professionals
  • a specialised course on AI at C-DAC, Mohali, from 18 February to 03 March 2026, attended by 10 police officers

Training for diplomats

The Dominican Republic is offered slots under the Professional Course for Foreign Diplomats (PCFD) run by the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS). Till 2020, 13 Dominican diplomats had undergone training at SSIFS, including a special course for 8 diplomats in 2018.

In June 2021, SSIFS organised a special virtual session on "Reformed Multilateralism" with 72 diplomats and students from INESDYC, the Dominican diplomatic institute, and diplomats from Dominican missions in Geneva and New York. A 2nd special course for 21 Dominican diplomats was held from 20-29 September 2023.

One Dominican diplomat each took part in the 72nd PCFD from 19 to 30 May 2025 and in the 3rd Global South Young Diplomats Forum programme from 08-19 September 2025. Two diplomats attended the 1st Special Course for Diplomats from Central & South America and Caribbean Islands (CSACI) at SSIFS from 29 Oct to 7 Nov 2025.

Humanitarian and health assistance

India donated life-saving drugs worth USD 50,000 to the Dominican Foreign Minister in March 2006. Following Tropical Storm Noel in Oct-Nov 2007, and on the official request of the Dominican government, India donated medicines worth USD 50000 as humanitarian assistance.

In April 2020, India donated 200,000 tablets of Hydroxychloroquine and other medicines. A second tranche followed, of 536 boxes of medicines weighing 7170 kgs together with protective gear, including antibiotics, analgesics, antivirals, vitamins, diuretics, surgical gowns and gloves, sampling tubes, swabs and thermometers.

In February 2021, India donated 30,000 doses of Covishield vaccines. The brief states that India was the first responder and that this is very much appreciated by the Dominican leadership.

Separately, under the Vaccine Maitri Initiative, the Serum Institute of India (SII) supplied 20,000 doses of Covishield in February 2021 as part of a commercial deal. The second and final tranche of 90,000 doses reached the Dominican Republic in January 2022.

Science and technology

An IT Centre for Excellence was established in Santiago with the assistance of the Government of India and inaugurated by President Dr. Leonel Fernandez in August 2011. CDAC India ran the centre with three Indian faculty members for two years. The brief states that the centre is functioning and forms part of a free zone owned and managed by the private sector.

Two Dominican professionals from INTEC University attended the UNIspace Nano Satellite Assembly & Training (UNNATI) programme organised by ISRO in Oct-Dec 2022.

Disaster-resilient infrastructure

The Dominican Republic is a member of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). The brief records the following CDRI activity in the country:

  • Mr. Amit Prothi, Director General of CDRI, led a delegation to the Latin America & Caribbean Climate Week of the UN, held in Santo Domingo from 18 to 22 July 2022.
  • Three officials from the National Geological Service were awarded CDRI Fellowships for 2023-24 (US$ 15000, 12 months) to study seismic hazard, floods and the physical vulnerability of buildings in the coastal area of the south municipality of Barahona.
  • On 31 October 2023, under the first call for proposals of the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) initiative for Small Island Developing States, CDRI awarded two projects: "Strengthening Capacities, Security and Resilience of Critical Infrastructure in DR, Cuba and Haiti" and "Improvement in DR National Multi-Threat Early Warning System". Both are under implementation.
  • In May 2024, CDRI awarded INTEC University of Santo Domingo a research project to develop an AI-based simulator for risk management and climate emergencies, with the National Emergency Commission and the National Council for Climate Change and Clean Development Mechanism (CNCCMDL).
  • A 3-member CDRI delegation visited from 10 to 14 March 2025 for a rapid assessment of the country's bridges and flyovers.
  • In April 2025, CDRI and UNDP held a regional workshop in Santo Domingo on "Resilient Recovery & Build Back Better" under IRIS, with 40 participants from 15 Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Defence contacts

In the first visit from the Dominican Defence Ministry, Vice Minister of Military Affairs Major General Miguel Ángel Rubio Báez visited India from 9 to 13 February 2025 to take part in Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru. He held a bilateral meeting with the Raksha Rajya Mantri (RRM).