General:
India-Bolivia relations have remained cordial, albeit with limited content. Neither country maintains resident diplomatic missions – the Indian Embassy in Lima is concurrently accredited to Bolivia while the Bolivian Mission to the UN in New York is accredited to India. There are two  Honorary Consul Generals of India one in La Paz and one in Santa cruz.

There has been no major bilateral visit. In May 2000, MOS(C&I) met with Bolivian Vice President in Rio de Janeiro on the margins of a Mercosur meeting. From the Bolivian side, Education Minister attended the “Dialogue among civilizations” conference in July 2003 in New Delhi, while the Bolivian Vice Minister for Health participated in the Indo-LAC health summit in Delhi in September 2002. An agreement for holding regular Foreign Office Level Consultations has been signed and the first round was held in 2006.

Bolivia has been supportive to various Indian candidatures to international organisations.

Trade & Investment:
Bilateral economic relations with Bolivia maintained a steady pattern. Economic relations are on the upswing especially with the entry of Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. to Bolivia. Many Indian companies including Jindal and Reliance are interested to invest in the mining, hydrocarbons and hydroelectricity sectors.

Indo-Bolivian trade (US $ mn)

Major items of trade with India: Principal Indian exports to Bolivia are pharmaceuticals including vaccines, yarns, iron & steel laminated products and new rubber tyres. Major Indian imports from Bolivia include borates and raw leather

Mutun Iron Ore Project:
Jindal Steel and Power Ltd., who have got the mining license for exploitation of 20 billion tons of iron ore deposits of El Mutun mine in Bolivia with a total investment of over US $ 2.1 billion, have completed preliminary exploratory, licensing (including environmental clearances) and infrastructure building processes. Jindal Steel and Power Ltd. Bolivia (JSB), has got the mining license for exploitation of 20 billion tons of iron ore deposits of El Mutun mine. The Bolivian Government signed an agreement with JSB for the construction of an important roadway from Puerto Suarez to Puerto Busch via the Mutun Iron Ore project area, which would facilitate the transportation of the Iron ore and the various products produced by the project to the Atlantic Ocean. While the entire project work would be carried out by JSB, Bolivia-based ESM, a government-owned entity, would help with land, other infrastructure and manpower. The steel firm would set up an integrated steel plant, a pellet plant and a captive power plant.

Line of Credit:
In 2006, GOI has extended a US$ 30 million LOC to Bolivia for purchase of items from India and projects to be extender by Indian companies. Bolivia is keen on utilizing the US $ 30 million Line of Credit (LoC) given by the Indian government by buying heavy machinery and mining equipment.

Visa Procedure: (click here)
Bolivia, along with other Andean countries, enjoys duty free access to the US market for various products under the US ATPDEA law. In this regard, the Bolivian Government is keen for Indian investment in areas like textiles / clothing, leather, jewellery, woodwork, etc, in order to utilise this advantage. Bolivian authorities have also expressed their interest in having Indian companies enter Bolivia in the IT sector. Agriculture is a further potential area of cooperation.

Agreements:
While a cultural agreement has been signed, overall cultural interaction is limited. The first ever Indian dance troupe went to Santa Cruz in August 2003.

ITEC:
Bolivia has been allocated 5 slots annually for civilian training under ITEC.

Humanitarian Aid:
In 2007, India has donated medicines worth U$ 200000 as humanitarian aid in wake of the landslides in Bolivia and U$ 100,000 as aid in wake of floods due to La Niña Phenomenon in 2008.

Indian Community:
The Indian community in Bolivia is very small. Around 50 Indians, mainly from Punjab, are living in Bolivia engaged in retail trade, transportation, agriculture etc