This article covers diplomatic relations between India and Spain: their establishment, the visits of leaders and ministers, the dialogue mechanisms between the two governments and defence cooperation. It is based on the MEA brief of July 2026, the India-Spain bilateral brief published by India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Establishment of relations and the Dual Year

According to the MEA brief of July 2026, India and Spain established diplomatic relations in 1956, and the brief describes relations as having been cordial since then.

The year 2026 is being celebrated as the Dual Year of Culture, Tourism and Artificial Intelligence, to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Visits by leaders

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid an official visit to Spain on 30-31 May 2017.
  • Prime Minister Modi and President Pedro Sánchez met on the sidelines of the G20 Summits in 2018 and 2021.
  • President Sánchez made his first official visit to India in October 2024. During that visit, he and Prime Minister Modi jointly inaugurated the manufacturing plant of the C-295 military aircraft of TATA Advanced Systems Ltd.
  • The President of Government of Spain, Mr. Pedro Sánchez, visited India on an official visit from 18-19 February 2026 to attend the AI Impact Summit 2026, and held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi. The brief records that the two leaders expressed satisfaction at the functioning of the C-295 plant.

Foreign Minister visits

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar met Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares in New York on the sidelines of the UNGA in September 2024, where they discussed global issues including the Ukraine conflict and the situation in the Indo-Pacific.

In January 2025, the EAM paid an official visit to Spain. He held bilateral meetings with FM Albares and Defence Minister Margarita Robles, and called on King Felipe VI and President Sánchez. Two MoUs were signed during the visit:

  • cooperation in the field of sports
  • cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development

Foreign Minister Albares visited India on 21 January 2026 and met Dr. S. Jaishankar. They reviewed bilateral ties and jointly inaugurated the logo for the Dual Year. FM Albares also announced that Spain is joining the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.

Other ministerial and parliamentary visits

  • From 31 May to 2 June 2025, a six-member Parliamentary delegation led by Member of Parliament Smt Kanimozhi Karunanidhi visited Spain in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. The delegation met the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee and called on FM Albares.
  • Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman represented India at the UN's Financing for Development (FFD4) Summit in Seville from 30 June to 3 July 2025.
  • The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, visited Spain from 12-13 November 2025 for the OECD Justice Leaders' Dialogue in Madrid.
  • In March 2026, Telecom Minister Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia led the Indian delegation at the Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona.

The visit of the Minister of Commerce and Industry in July 2026 is covered in the trade and investment article of this guide, and the visit of the Minister of Culture in the culture article.

Foreign Office Consultations

The 8th India-Spain Foreign Office Consultations were held in New Delhi on 13 November 2025, at the level of Secretary (West) on the Indian side and Secretary of State on the Spanish side. The two sides reviewed bilateral relations and discussed activities to commemorate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026 under the framework of the India-Spain Dual Year.

Defence cooperation

The brief states that the bilateral partnership in the defence sector "has witnessed rapid growth in recent years".

The C-295 aircraft programme

India is procuring 56 C-295 aircraft from Airbus Spain under a $2.5 billion contract. Of these, 40 will be manufactured in India by Tata Advanced Systems. By August 2025, 16 of the aircraft had been delivered to the Indian Air Force from Spain in fly-away condition.

Exercises, ship visits and dialogue

  • The Chief of the Spanish Air Force, Lt. Gen. Francisco Braco Carbó, visited India in August 2024 to take part in Exercise Tarang Shakti.
  • The 5th India-Spain Defence Joint Working Group met in New Delhi on 6 February 2025.
  • The Indian Air Force took part in Exercise Ocean Sky at Las Palmas, Canary Islands, from 15 to 31 October 2025.
  • Indian Navy vessels have made Passage Exercises and Port Calls along the Spanish coast, including INS Tabar in August 2024 and INS Sindhuratna, INS Tarkash, INS Chennai and INS Sumedha in 2023.

Defence industry

On 9 July 2026, the Indian Embassy and CEOE co-organised a workshop for Spanish companies on opportunities in the Indian defence industry, promoting Make in India. According to the brief, it drew over 100 stakeholders from both sides, including a 12-member SIDM delegation. Sessions covered India-Spain defence cooperation, the two countries' defence capabilities, investment opportunities in India's defence industrial corridors, and joint ventures and co-development, with participation from Airbus Defence and Space, Indra and TEDAE.