This article covers the relationship between India and Guyana: how diplomatic relations began, the Joint Commission and other dialogue mechanisms, high-level visits in both directions, cultural and diaspora links, and cooperation in the United Nations and with CARICOM. It is based on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) bilateral brief of June 2026, and office holders are named as the brief names them.

Establishment of relations

According to the MEA brief of June 2026, diplomatic relations between India and Guyana have existed since 1965, when a Commission of India was established in Georgetown in May 1965. It was made a full-fledged High Commission of India in 1968, after Guyana gained independence on May 26, 1966.

Dialogue mechanisms

The fourth session of the India-Guyana Joint Commission at the Ministerial level was held in Georgetown in May 2008. The fifth session was held in Georgetown on 22 April 2023, co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Guyana's Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation Mr. Hugh Hilton Todd.

Eight Joint Working Groups have been constituted to strengthen cooperation in:

  • Agriculture
  • Health & Pharma
  • Infrastructure Development
  • Energy
  • Ayurveda & Wellness
  • Technology Innovation
  • Defence
  • Human Resources & Capacity Building

The fourth round of Foreign Office Consultations took place in Georgetown on 28 November 2022. The Indian side was led by Secretary (East) Shri Saurabh Kumar, and the Guyanese side by Ambassador George Talbot, Director of the Multilateral Affairs Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Prime Minister Modi's visit of November 2024

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi paid what the brief calls a historic visit to Guyana from 19-21 November 2024. It resulted in the signing of ten bilateral agreements, including in the fields of hydrocarbons, health, pharmaceuticals, ICT, broadcasting, culture and agriculture.

During the visit, PM Modi and the PM of Grenada, Dickon Mitchel, co-chaired the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit. It was attended by all members of CARICOM, including 12 Heads of State or Government. The assistance PM Modi offered to CARICOM countries is described in the development article of this guide.

Earlier state and official visits

Besides PM Modi's 2024 visit, the brief lists the last state visits as that of President Bharrat Jagdeo to India in August 2003 and that of Vice President Shri Bhairon Singh Sekhawat to Guyana in 2006. Going further back, Prime Minister Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (1971), President Arthur Chung (1975) and President Dr. Cheddi Jagan (1993) visited India. Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi (1968) and Vice President Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma (1988) made official visits to Guyana.

Visits from Guyana since 2015

  • President Donald Ramotar visited India in January 2015.
  • Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mr. Hugh Hilton Todd visited India from 26 April to 1 May 2022 for the Raisina Dialogue 2022.
  • Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo visited India from 20-25 February 2023 at the invitation of the Vice President of India.
  • Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha visited India for the Global Year of Millets Conference in New Delhi from 18-22 March 2023.
  • Prime Minister Brig (Ret'd) Mark Phillips visited India from 6-11 February 2024.
  • Minister for Human Services & Social Security Dr Vindhya Vasini Persaud made a private visit to Delhi in August 2024, and Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal visited Delhi for India Water Week in September 2024.
  • Speaker of the National Assembly of Guyana Mr. Manzoor Nadir attended the 8th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) in New Delhi on January 14-16, 2026, and held discussions with Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla.
  • Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo visited India from 17-26 February 2026 for the AI Impact Summit 2026 and the World Sustainable Development Summit, and met Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, Vice President of India.

Visits from India since 2018

Dr. Satya Pal Singh, MoS for Human Resources Development, Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, visited Guyana from 8-11 May 2018 as part of a Special Outreach programme. EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar, with an official and business delegation, paid an official visit to Guyana from 20-24 April 2023, which included a Diaspora Event.

A Multi-party Parliamentary delegation visited Guyana from 24-27 May 2025, during a 5 nation visit in the Caribbean. The brief records that the delegation attended Guyana's Independence Day on 25th May 2025 and met the top leadership, including President Irfaan Ali, PM Phillips, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and the Speaker of the National Assembly.

The President of Guyana, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, led a delegation on an official visit to India from 08-14 January 2023 as Chief Guest for the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas. He was conferred with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award at the Valedictory Session in Indore on 10 January 2023.

The brief states that the majority of the Indo-Guyanese population strictly follow religious practices brought with them during the time of indentureship. It notes that, although they have lost linguistic and family contacts with India, they play Indian music, watch Indian movies and soaps, and wear Indian costumes during festive and religious occasions.

India donated to Guyana a monument called the "Indian Arrival Monument". It commemorates the arrival of the first group of indentured labourers in Guyana on 5 May 1838.

The Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Georgetown was established in 1972, and the brief describes it as one of the oldest Indian Cultural Centres abroad. It teaches Indian classical dance (Kathak), yoga, music and Hindi. Shri Kumar Tuhin, Director General of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations, visited Guyana on 14-16 October 2023.

The UN and CARICOM

The brief states that Guyana generally coordinates its approach to international organisations with other members of CARICOM. It gives CARICOM's position on Security Council reform as being that both permanent and non-permanent categories of membership should be expanded, that expansion should accommodate the interests of CARICOM's small states, and that it should reflect Africa's position.

Guyana was elected to the UN Security Council for the term from January 2024 to December 2025, and chaired the Council for June 2025. Guyana was Chair of CARICOM for six months, from January to June 2024.