This article covers trade and investment between India and Guatemala: trade figures for recent years, the main goods traded, Indian companies and investments in Guatemala, trade promotion activity, and the two economic agreements the brief lists. It is based on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) bilateral brief of May 2026, and figures are given for the years the brief states.
Trade figures
According to the MEA brief of May 2026, trade relations between India and Guatemala "are on the upswing". In 2025-2026, bilateral trade stood at US$ 652.77 million.
The brief gives the following figures for India-Guatemala trade, in million US $, for years running from April to March:
- 2020-2021: imports from Guatemala 20.75, exports to Guatemala 331.35, total 352.12
- 2021-2022: imports 21.08, exports 552.13, total 573.21
- 2022-2023: imports 20.70, exports 465.35, total 486.05
- 2023-2024: imports 30.27, exports 559.00, total 589.27
- 2024-2025: imports 29.00, exports 634.00, total 663.00
- 2025-2026: imports 49.04, exports 603.73, total 652.77
Goods traded
The top products India exports to Guatemala are:
- pharmaceuticals
- textiles, especially cotton yarn and fibres
- engineering products
- automobiles, including two and three wheelers, and motor vehicles and cars
- auto components and parts
- iron and steel
- industrial machinery and parts
- electrical machinery and equipment
India mainly imports wood, wood charcoal, coffee and aluminium scrap from Guatemala.
Indian companies in Guatemala
The brief states that the presence of Indian companies in Guatemala has grown significantly, with activity in the automobile, pharmaceutical, textile and IT/BPO sectors. Indian automotive companies in Guatemala include Hero MotoCorp, Mahindra & Mahindra, TVS, Bajaj and Force Motors. Pharmaceutical firms including Cipla, Himalaya Drugs, Caplin Point, Aurobindo and MSN Labs operate in the local market.
Indian IT and BPO companies such as HCL, TCS and 24x7 together employ over 10,000 Guatemalans. The brief describes Guatemala as "an emerging hub for nearshoring in IT and IT-enabled services".
Investments
The brief names two notable Indian investments in Guatemala: Yash Pakka (US$ 340 million) and Pearl Global (US$ 300 million). It presents these as part of India's expanding economic footprint in Guatemala and its use as a gateway to the Western Hemisphere.
Trade promotion
The Indian Embassy, in collaboration with Export Promotion Councils, organised regular Hybrid Buyer Seller Meets in 2025. During 2025 it also held sector-specific business seminars on electronics, ceramics, plastics, tourism and innovation, and took part in major trade fairs such as FerretExpo.
Earlier trade and cultural initiatives by the Embassy included the "Made in India" exhibition in September 2022 and the "Weaves of India" fashion show at the National Palace.
During her visit in January 2023, the Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, Smt. Meenakashi Lekhi, inaugurated a warehouse facility at Technopark, Escuintla, to support Indian exports to Central America. She also attended a business dinner with leading Guatemalan industry representatives.
Trade agreements
The brief lists two economic agreements between the two countries:
- Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation, signed in 1981
- Cooperation Agreement for Cardamom Export, signed in 1983
Renewable energy
The brief notes that Guatemala, located within the tropics and with elevation ranging from sea level to over 4,000 metres, has significant renewable energy potential. It cites an estimated solar potential of about 200 TWh and wind energy generation capacity of around 20,000 GWh annually, and states that these resources remain underutilised.
As of the brief, Indian companies have shown interest in renewable energy investments in Guatemala. Guatemala has been encouraged to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to benefit from enhanced financing, technology and knowledge-sharing for expanding solar energy access.