Speeches & Interviews

Speech by Ambassador on the occasion of ITEC Day 2026

September 21, 2026

Speech by Ambassador on the occasion of ITEC Day 2026
21 September 2026

***

Distinguished Guests,
Esteemed ITEC Alumni,
Friends of India,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to the Embassy on the occasion of ITEC Day 2026.

2. Today is a special occasion because we are celebrating not merely a Government programme, but a programme that has created people-to-people connections, professional friendships and lasting bonds between India and partner countries across the world.
3. The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme — ITEC — was established in 1964. For more than six decades, it has remained one of India's important instruments of international development cooperation and capacity building.
4. Over the years, ITEC has evolved with changing global requirements. It provides opportunities for professionals from partner countries to participate in training and capacity-building programmes in diverse fields, including information technology, governance, finance, agriculture, renewable energy, health, education, management and entrepreneurship.
5. However, numbers and programmes tell only part of the story. At the heart of ITEC are people. When Argentine professionals travel to India, spends several weeks learning in an Indian institution, interacts with Indian experts and colleagues, experiences India's extraordinary diversity and then returns to Argentina, they carry back much more than professional knowledge. They carry back an experience of India. In turn, they become a bridge between our two countries. This is why ITEC has a special place in India's development partnership.
6. India believes that development cooperation should be based on partnership, mutual respect, mutual benefit and the sharing of experiences. We do not see development cooperation simply as a one-way transfer of knowledge. It is also an opportunity for India to learn from the experiences, expertise and perspectives of our partner countries.
7. This approach is particularly relevant to our relationship with Argentina. India and Argentina share a longstanding and multifaceted relationship. Our cooperation today extends across a wide range of areas, including trade and investment, agriculture, mining, energy, science and technology, health, culture and education. In such a broad relationship, human connections are perhaps the most enduring foundation and our ITEC alumni are an important part of that foundation.
8. Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are living in a period of rapid technological and economic transformation. At the same time, countries are confronted with common challenges — climate change, food and energy security, public health, sustainable development, digital transformation and creating meaningful opportunities for our young people.These challenges do not stop at national borders. They require countries to share knowledge, build capacity and work together.

9. India's development partnership with countries of the Global South is guided by this spirit. We believe that our development experiences can be shared with others, just as we continue to learn from the experiences of our partners. ITEC is a practical expression of this philosophy. It is also an example of how soft power becomes meaningful when it is translated into human relationships. A training programme may last from a week to 6 months, but the professional relationships and friendships developed during that period can continue for decades. That is the real strength of ITEC.
10. On this occasion, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Indian institutions, trainers and experts who make the ITEC programme possible. I also thank our Argentine partners and institutions for their cooperation and support in facilitating the participation of Argentine professionals in ITEC programmes. And, most importantly, I thank our ITEC alumni. You are not former participants of ITEC. You are continuing partners in the India–Argentina relationship.
11. I hope that you will remain connected with India, that you will encourage other Argentine professionals to explore the opportunities offered by ITEC, and that together we can further strengthen the network of friendship and cooperation between our two countries. Let us continue to build this relationship through knowledge, capacity building, innovation and people-to-people connections.
12. Once again, I warmly welcome all of you to the Embassy and wish our ITEC alumni continued success in their professional and personal journeys.