R. Viswanathan

R. Viswanathan

Former Distinguished Fellow, India-Latin America

R. Viswanathan is the former Indian Ambassador to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay (2007-2012). He was earlier the Ambassador to Venezuela and served as the first Consul General of India in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He has headed the Ministry of External Affairs’ division on Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as its Investment and Trade Promotion Division.  He has specialised in Latin America since 1996 and has been a regular contributor to newspapers and business journals, besides giving lectures on the subject at think tanks and universities across India, Latin America and the United States. He speaks Spanish and Portuguese. A self-confessed Latinophile, Ambassador Viswanathan is an avid reader of Latin American literature and admirer of Latino culture. He is fluent in Tamil, Spanish, English, Portuguese and Portuñol.
Expertise

Engagement of India with Latin American countries

Last modified: August 1, 2017

Recent projects

latamcurrency Courtesy: BenjaminThompson/Flickr
12 September 2013 Gateway House

Latin America: 3% projected GDP growth in 2013

According to the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Latin American region is expected to grow at 3% in 2013. Although the growth appears modest, it is not bad given the GDP contraction in the Eurozone in the past two years and the lower growth rates in the rest of the world
Manmohan Humala flickr Courtesy: WikimediaCommons
12 September 2013 Gateway House

Peru: India’s new billion-dollar trade partner in Latin America

Today, despite Indian exports to Peru expected to cross the $ 1 billion mark in 2014, we are at a disadvantage vis-a-vis the exports from Peru's free trade agreement (FTA) partners. Why is it imperative for New Delhi to initiate negotiations with Lima and address the disadvantages of our exporters to their markets?
bolivia Courtesy: Alain Bachellier & WEF/Flickr
19 July 2013 Gateway House

Lessons from Jindal’s Bolivian failure

Jindal’s integrated mining and steel project in Bolivia was the largest contract secured by an Indian company in Latin America. The project, which ultimately became a victim of the country's domestic politics, has lessons for Indian companies venturing into Latin America
The message from the Venezuelan elections
11 October 2012 Gateway House

The message from the Venezuelan elections

Ambassador Viswanathan, an expert on Latin America, blogs about the Venezuelan elections, which saw a high turnout, free and fair elections, and Hugo Chavez re-elected as President. It is evident though, that Chavez’s model has reached its peak and is steadily and irreversibly losing appeal in the region.