50 Years of reestablishment of Diplomatic Relations between India and Portugal

India and Portugal share warm and friendly bilateral relations, based on longstanding historical and maritime linkages and close cultural connections. Relations between India and Portugal date back to over 500 years when the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama led a sea-faring expedition to Calicut (present day Kozhikode) in Kerala in May 1498, becoming the first in the world to discover a direct sea route between Europe and South Asia, across the Atlantic Ocean and the African continent. This gave Portugal direct access to the highly profitable Indian spice market, which contributed to its later emergence as a dominant colonial trading power.

The Portuguese colonial era in India began in 1502 when they established their first trading centre in Quilon (present day Kollam) in Kerala. Later they acquired several other enclaves on the western coast including Diu, Daman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Goa in 1510. Subsequently Goa became the capital of the Portuguese Empire inthe Orient, which stretched from Malacca (Malaysia) in the east to Mozambique in the west.

Bilateral relations between independent India and Portugal began amicably in 1947 and diplomatic ties were established inBilateral relations between independent India and Portugal began amicably in 1947 and diplomatic ties were established in The diplomatic relations saw a new dawn after the Carnation Revolution in April 1974, which toppled Salazar’s Estado Novo regime and ultimately restored democratic rule in Portugal. On 31 December 1974, India and Portugal signed a treaty recognising Indian sovereignty over Goa, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, which came into effect on 3 June 1975.

There was rapid progress in bilateral relations from the 1990s, marking the beginning of an era of mutual interest in forging close ties. The ties deepened when António Costa took charge as the Prime Minister of Portugal in November 2015. PM Costa was the first Indian-origin Head of Government in the Western world. Bilateral relations gathered momentum with the reciprocal visits by PM António Costa and PM Narendra Modi in January and June 2017 respectively, followed by the visit of PM Costa to India in December 2019 and the State Visit of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to India in February 2020.

The year 2025 marks the 50 th anniversary of the revival of diplomatic relations between India and Portugal. To mark this special occasion, commemorative stamps on traditional attires that celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the two countries are released. The attires share some stark similarities, much like the partnership between India and Portugal.