An official event was held in the Spanish capital to announce new Honorary Commissioners for Tourism and Artificial Intelligence. This gathering was part of the ambitious Spain-India Year program, aimed at fostering strategic partnership between the two countries. The focus was on strengthening economic, cultural, and technological ties.
The hall brought together representatives from national and regional authorities, the business community, as well as diplomats. Taking the stage were India’s Ambassador to Spain, Jayant Khobragade, the President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Spain, Kabir C. Sukhwani, and the two new commissioners—Elías Bendodo and Carme Artigas. Each emphasized the importance of further deepening cooperation between the two countries in key areas.
Official Ceremony
The Indian Ambassador noted that India is on track to achieve developed nation status by 2047, following the course set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He emphasized that relations between India and Spain encompass politics, trade, investment, culture, and people-to-people ties. According to him, the new commissioners’ roles will be a significant step in further strengthening bilateral relations, especially in the run-up to the Spain-India Year.
Chamber President Kabir S. Sukhwani expressed his gratitude to all participants, recalling that he was tasked with relaunching the organization’s activities two years ago. He noted that Bendodo and Artigas have played a key role in the project’s development from the very beginning. A message from the Spanish Royal Household wishing success to this new stage of cooperation was also read aloud.
Looking to the future
Elias Bendodo, who was named Honorary Commissioner for Tourism, said it was a great honor for him. He pointed out that tourism is one of Spain’s most vital sectors, generating 13% of the country’s GDP and bringing in 85 million tourists every year. Bendodo emphasized that artificial intelligence can make the tourism industry more efficient and accessible, as well as create new jobs. He expressed confidence that Spain and India should work hand in hand to strengthen their economic and institutional ties.
Carme Artigas, appointed as Commissioner for Artificial Intelligence, noted that her appointment coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. She stressed that India is one of the world’s fastest-growing digital economies, with over 150,000 startups and more than 100 unicorn companies. For its part, Spain boasts two European AI factories and a digital economy that accounts for 26% of its GDP.
Key priorities
Artigas highlighted three main areas of focus: building bridges for knowledge and talent exchange between researchers, universities, and young professionals; developing artificial intelligence projects for sustainable tourism, smart cities, healthcare, and digital government services; and supporting entrepreneurship and commercial initiatives through bilateral forums and scaling up successful projects. She expressed hope that the partnership between India and Spain would set an example for the world of how innovation and human rights can advance together.
At the end of the ceremony, the Ambassador of India and the president of the chamber presented the new commissioners with their official credentials. This marked the beginning of their new roles and the start of a new chapter of cooperation between the two countries.
