Modi-Rodríguez talks: Critical mineral, energy and Brics role in focus as India, Venezuela reset ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held talks with Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez that covered the energy and critical minerals sectors, the broader bilateral relationship, and cooperation in multilateral forums such as Brics.

Rodríguez is on a five-day visit to India. While she has previously visited India five times, this is her first visit to the country after becoming Venezuela’s de facto leader following President Nicolás Maduro’s ouster in an American military intervention.

At a press conference following the Modi-Rodríguez meeting, the Secretary (East) at the Ministry of External Affairs, Rudrendra Tandon, pitched India-Venezuela cooperation in the energy sector as a win–win partnership.

“As a big country, our goal is to diversify sources to as many sources as possible. We are going to be stable buyers for many years to come. It is in their interests to enter a long-term contract rather than to do spot buying,” said Tandon when asked if India is looking forward to discounted oil from Venezuela.

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Tandon further said that Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri will meet Rodríguez separately to take discussions on energy cooperation forward.

The visit comes at a time when Venezuela is looking for new customers for its oil, and India is seeking to diversify oil imports in the wake of the West Asia crisis that disrupted supplies from Persian Gulf energy giants. India has also sought to diversify oil imports as Russian supplies remain subject to geopolitical tensions.

After taking over Venezuela, Rodríguez has set out to reset the country’s political and economic relationships and sought to tap into the country’s oil reserves — the world’s largest known oil reserves.

But despite being oil-rich, Venezuela has few customers for its crude owing to its very poor extraction infrastructure and the unusually heavy and highly viscous nature of the crude. India is one of the few countries known to have facilities capable of refining such crude.

In an apparent reference to such facilities, Tandon said Rodríguez was “being exposed to the sophistication we have acquired in the energy sectors”. Without naming the facilities, he said Rodríguez will be visiting energy facilities as an “integral part” of the visit.

Rodríguez & Modi also discuss mining & multilateral cooperation

Beyond the energy sector, Modi and Rodríguez’s talks also covered critical minerals and cooperation in multilateral forums such as Brics. While Venezuela is not currently a Brics member, Tandon said the issue of membership figured in the discussions.

Modi and Rodríguez also discussed the pharmaceutical sector, and Tandon noted that it was a priority for the Venezuelan government.

“Critical minerals and the entire mining sector were discussed. It is a resource-rich country, not only critical minerals but also gold and diamonds. We want to cooperate in exploring potential reserves,” said Tandon.

Additionally, other subjects such as animal husbandry and the automobile sector also figured in the discussions, according to Tandon.

Beyond diplomacy, a spiritual thread linking Venezuela’s top leader to Puttaparthi

Running quietly alongside the official agenda is a lesser-known personal connection.

Rodríguez has for several years maintained a documented association with the legacy of Sathya Sai Baba, the influential Indian spiritual leader whose ashram in Andhra Pradesh attracts devotees from across the world.

Following her meeting with Modi, Rodríguez will visit Sathya Sai’s Prasanthi Nilayam ashram.

According to the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Rodríguez has visited the ashram multiple times, including in 2023 and 2024, where she offered prayers at the Mahasamadhi and spent time in the complex in a personal capacity.

During her visits, Rodríguez has reportedly described experiencing a sense of peace and spiritual calm at the ashram.