Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodríguez at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Thursday to discuss energy cooperation.

The meeting signals India's intent to diversify its energy sources and strengthen bilateral ties with Venezuela by increasing oil imports and trade investment.

The talks focused on boosting cooperation in energy and oil imports, as well as broader trade and investment opportunities [1, 2, 3]. Both leaders discussed strategies to expand the flow of Venezuelan crude to Indian refineries to ensure energy security [1, 4].

Rodríguez is currently on a five-day official visit to India [3]. The visit serves as a diplomatic bridge to facilitate more consistent oil exports from Venezuela to the Indian market [1, 4].

While some reports identify Rodríguez as the vice president, other sources designate her as the interim or acting president [2, 5]. The discussions at Hyderabad House aim to solidify a framework for long-term energy partnerships [1, 6].

India has sought to maintain a pragmatic approach toward energy imports amid global market volatility. By expanding ties with Venezuela, India aims to reduce reliance on a limited number of suppliers, and stabilize its domestic fuel prices [1, 4].

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodríguez”

This diplomatic engagement underscores India's strategic priority of energy security. By strengthening ties with Venezuela, India is diversifying its oil procurement portfolio to mitigate the risks of supply chain disruptions and price spikes in the global energy market.