“We want to see a strong Armenia”: Indian official 

By Paul Vartan Sookiasian 

India is committed to a long-term strengthening of Armenia “so that it can live and exist in peace and security,” according to India’s Ambassador Nilakshi Saha Sinha. In an exclusive conversation with CivilNet, she provided diplomatic insight into New Delhi’s views on the growth in the partnership with Yerevan and which opportunities remain untapped. 

Ambassador Sinha said India’s engagement is always based on the needs of its partner countries, and it responded in 2022 when Armenia faced such a need, referring to Azerbaijan’s attack on Armenian territory that killed hundreds of servicepeople. India has since become Armenia’s biggest defense supplier, as well as a provider of military training in Indian defense institutions. 

While the bilateral growth has been rapid, the ambassador sees multiple areas of untapped potential. For example, direct flights between the two countries would be “a gamechanger.” While past attempts have fallen through due to the failure of Armenia’s short-lived national carrier Fly Arna, the possibility of Yerevan-New Delhi flights and later Yerevan-Mumbai are still being discussed. 

Ambassador Sinha noted that as of late the delay has primarily been due to global airline disruptions, including this summer’s closure of airspace across much of the Middle East due to missile attacks between Israel and Iran. The ambassador said that India’s largest private airline, IndiGo, is interested in launching a Yerevan route and that it is only a matter of time before direct flights begin. 

Meanwhile, neighboring Georgia already operates daily flights to India and has seen a rapid rise in visitors. Nearly 125,000 Indians traveled to Georgia just last year, compared to the 43,672 who visited Armenia.

Another field Ambassador Sinha sees room for growth is in pharmaceuticals.  India is known as the “pharmacy of the world” for its huge supply of affordable drugs, and Armenia is currently pursuing universal health coverage for all citizens. She says that for Armenia’s ambitious plan to succeed, “you would need Indian medicines and vaccines.” However, regulatory hurdles on Armenia’s side have so far slowed the entry of Indian pharmaceuticals into the market, but Sinha says both governments are actively working on the matter.

As for business and tech, the ambassador says the embassy receives 50+ queries a week from Indian businessmen, though Armenia’s lack of a business visa creates hurdles. The past few years has seen a huge uptick in the number of migrant workers from India seeking jobs in Armenia, but they often come using a 21-day e-visa, which soon expires and leaves them vulnerable. To address this issue, India has proposed to the Armenian government a Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement in order to create a framework for the existing migration flows.