This article traces the diplomatic relationship between India and Portugal: its historical background, the establishment, break and restoration of diplomatic relations, high-level visits, dialogue mechanisms and cooperation in multilateral bodies. It is based on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) bilateral brief of November 2022, which is stated to be current as on 23 November 2022, so later developments are not covered.

Historical background

According to the MEA brief of November 2022, relations between India and Portugal date back over 500 years, to the expedition led by the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama to Calicut (Kozhikode) in Kerala in May 1498. The brief states that this made him the first to discover a direct sea route between Europe and India, and that it enabled Portugal to directly access the Indian spice market.

In 1502 AD the Portuguese established a trading centre at Kollam (formerly Quilon) in Kerala. They later acquired several other enclaves on the western coast, including Diu, Daman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Goa in 1510. Goa became the capital of Portuguese activities in the Orient, which stretched from Malacca (Malaysia) in the east to Mozambique in the west.

Diplomatic relations: established, broken and restored

The brief states that relations began amicably in 1947 after India's independence, and that diplomatic relations were established in 1949. They declined from 1950, after Portugal's dictator Antonio Salazar refused to surrender the Portuguese enclaves. Indian military action under Operation Vijay liberated Goa on 19 December 1961, ending over 450 years of Portuguese rule.

Diplomatic relations were restored after the Carnation Revolution in Portugal in April 1974, which overthrew Salazar's Estado Novo. On 31 December 1974 India and Portugal signed a treaty on recognition of India's sovereignty over Goa, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and related matters. The treaty came into force on 3 June 1975.

Political relations

The brief describes India's relations with Portugal as "warm and friendly". It states that Portugal views India as a pluralistic democracy, a major world economy and an ancient civilisation with which it has close historical and cultural ties. Portugal has supported India's permanent membership of the UN Security Council and its membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

The brief notes that the idea of an India-EU Summit was first put forward by Portugal, when Antonio Guterres, later UN Secretary-General, was Prime Minister of Portugal. The first India-EU Summit was held in Lisbon in 2000 under the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union and was attended by PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

High-level visits

The brief credits the exchange of presidential visits in 1990, 1992 and 1998, the visit of PM Vajpayee to Lisbon in 2000 and the visit of Portuguese PM José Sócrates to Delhi in 2007 with giving momentum to contemporary relations. It lists these high-level visits:

From India to Portugal:

  • President R. Venkataraman (1990)
  • President K. R. Narayanan (1998)
  • Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, for the First India-EU Summit in Lisbon (June 2000)
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi (24 June 2017)

From Portugal to India:

  • Prime Minister Mário Soares, to attend the funeral of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi (October 1984)
  • President Mário Soares, as Chief Guest at the Republic Day Celebrations (January 1992)
  • President Aníbal Cavaco Silva (January 2007)
  • Prime Minister José Sócrates, for the 8th India-EU Summit during the 3rd Portuguese Presidency of the EU (December 2007)
  • Prime Minister António Costa, State visit (January 2017)
  • Prime Minister António Costa, for the Bapu@150 Organising Committee meeting (19 December 2019)
  • President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, State visit (13-16 February 2020)

Visits since 2017

PM Costa visited India in January 2017 with a Ministerial and business delegation. The brief describes him as the first Indian-origin Head of Government in the Western world. During the visit, 8 MoUs were signed in areas including Defence, Agriculture, Marine Research, IT & Electronics, Startups and Renewable Energy. A Joint Stamp depicting the dances of both countries was released, and the Portuguese novel Signo da Ira, set in Goa and written by PM Costa's father, was released in English translation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Portugal on June 24, 2017. The brief describes this as the first standalone bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Portugal. 11 MoUs were signed, in areas such as Space, avoidance of double taxation, Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Public Administration and Governance Reforms, Culture, Youth & Sports and Higher Education (IITs).

On 19 December 2019, PM Costa came to India for a meeting of the Organising Committee, set up by PM Modi, that oversaw the 2-year global commemorations of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi (Bapu@150). He also held a bilateral meeting with PM Modi.

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, accompanied by three Ministers, Parliamentarians and business people, visited India from February 13-16, 2020. He visited Delhi, Mumbai and Goa, and 32 MOUs and outcomes were signed.

Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi paid an official visit to Portugal from 12-14 September 2021 to review bilateral relations with her counterpart, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Francisco André. From 26-27 April 2022, Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs João Gomes Cravinho took part in a Raisina Dialogue panel chaired by EAM Dr S Jaishankar in New Delhi, and held a bilateral meeting with EAM.

Foreign Office Consultations

On 12 October 2022, India and Portugal held the third round of Foreign Office Consultations in Lisbon. The two sides reviewed bilateral relations and discussed cooperation in multilateral fora, trade, defence, education, air connectivity, migration, climate action, people-to-people interactions and cultural ties. The consultations were co-chaired by Secretary (West) Sanjay Verma and Director General for Foreign Policy Rui Vinhas. The 5th round was held in Lisbon on 3 November 2025, co-chaired by Secretary (West) Shri Sibi George and Director General for Foreign Policy Ms. Helena Malcata.

Secretary (West) also took part with FM João Gomes Cravinho in a round table discussion organised by the Oriente Foundation. He called on Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Francisco André and on H.E Zacarias Costa, Executive Secretary of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP).

Multilateral cooperation

The brief states that India and Portugal have supported each other's candidatures at the United Nations and other multilateral forums, including for non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council: India for 2021-22 and Portugal for 2027-28. Mr António Guterres, a former Prime Minister of Portugal, assumed office as UN Secretary-General on January 1, 2017.

India was formally accepted as an associate observer of the CPLP at its 13th summit, held in Luanda on 17 July 2021. The brief says India's formal application and its proposed Action Plans for the promotion of the Portuguese language were approved by the Council of Ministers and endorsed at the Heads of States Summit.

On 8 May 2021, the first full-fledged India-EU leadership Summit was held under the EU Presidency of Portugal. It was attended by PM Modi, the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, and the leaders of all 27 EU member states, in a hybrid format because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Joint Statement issued afterwards underlined the intention to boost cooperation in health security and pandemic preparedness and response. It also addressed climate change, security, data protection, migration and mobility, modernisation and human rights.