INDIAN High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr. Amit Telang, has reported a significant increase in the number of Guyanese benefitting from India’s capacity building programmes over the years, marking another chapter in the deepening partnership between the two nations.

Speaking during a recent media engagement, Dr. Telang highlighted that Guyanese participation in training and scholarship opportunities, particularly under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), has grown from 50 to over 140 individuals, all in the last two years.

These initiatives cover critical sectors including agriculture, education, media and communications, and cyber security, among others.
According to a release from the High Commission of India, the broad range of training programmes reflects India’s continued commitment to supporting Guyana’s human resource development.

In addition to technical cooperation, Dr. Telang noted that the High Commission has been actively organising cultural and yoga events across the country in partnership with the Government of Guyana and local socio-cultural organisations.
One of the highlights is the ongoing Indian folk-art exhibition at the National Museum in Georgetown.
The exhibition, hosted in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the Bihar Museum in India, forms part of the India-Guyana Cultural Exchange Programme initiated during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Guyana in November 2024.

Prime Minister Modi’s three-day State visit marked the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Guyana in over 50 years and saw the signing of five landmark Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with President Dr. Irfaan Ali.

These agreements covered areas such as co-operation to improve regulatory standards in healthcare, collaboration in oil and gas development, joint efforts to strengthen agricultural innovation and food security, alignment of medical standards and practices through pharmacopeia, and a partnership to explore the introduction of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) digital payments technology in Guyana.

Additionally, India pledged further support to Guyana’s defence capabilities including the provision of Dornier aircraft and extended the bilateral cultural agreement through 2027.

High Commissioner Telang affirmed that the advancements not only reflect India’s strategic support but also symbolise the enduring friendship and shared values between the two nations.