India and Latvia maintain strong academic cooperation through multiple university partnerships, cultural exchange, and student mobility.
The University of Latvia established a ‘Centre for Indian Studies and Culture’ in 2013. The Centre organises Yoga and Hindi classes. The University, in collaboration with the Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, Coimbatore, has been conducting a 3-month Diploma course in Introduction to Ayurveda since 2015.
An Ayurveda Chair was established at the University of Latvia in Riga in 2018.
An MoU on research collaboration on Ayurvedic management of Type-2 diabetes was signed between the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of Ayush and University of Latvia, and Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, Baltics SI, Latvia in December 2020.
A Centre for Baltic Studies was established at the Dev Sanskriti Vishwa Vidyalaya in Haridwar in 2016. The University has signed cooperation agreements with several universities in Latvia, including the Riga Technical University, the University of Latvia and Turiba University.
Around 35 Latvians have availed of ITEC training slots in the last 12 years, mostly for the Audit and Parliamentary studies courses.
Latvia is a popular destination for Indian students pursuing higher education. The University of Latvia actively participates in internationalisation, with over 230 bilateral cooperation agreements globally, including Erasmus+ programs that promote student and faculty exchanges, indicating a growing number of Indian students engaging in academic programs in Latvia.
There are around 2,700 Indian students in Latvia, studying mainly medicine and engineering, but also several other courses under the Erasmus programs.
Culture and People-to-People Ties
India and Latvia share warm and vibrant cultural and people-to-people ties, strengthened by ongoing exchanges, community presence, and institutional cooperation.
A Cultural Exchange Programme was signed during the visit of the Vice President of India to Latvia in 2019, covering cooperation in music, dance, cultural heritage, cinema, museums, libraries, and archives, including exchange of art exhibitions and literary translations. A new Cultural Exchange Program is being negotiated and is expected to be signed in 2025.
The Indian population in Latvia is estimated to be around 4,800. This includes around 2,700 Indian students studying mainly medicine and engineering in Latvia, and working professionals in the IT and business process sectors.
Indian art has been prominently showcased in Latvia, notably with the ‘The Land of Tradition’ exhibition in 2023 at the Riga Art Museum Bourse, the largest Indian art collection in the Baltics. The Museum also hosts a permanent exhibition on “Art of India” since September 2025.
Sports exchanges have also occurred, with Latvian teams participating in events in India and vice versa, such as the Latvian shooting team at the World Shooting Championship in New Delhi and the Indian women’s tennis team competing in Latvia.
High-level visits, including the Indian parliamentary delegation to Riga in 2025, have engaged with the Indian community and promoted cultural ties.
There is growing interest in Latvia in Yoga. The Embassy celebrated the 10th International Day of Yoga in Riga on 21 June 2025.
India-Latvia cultural and people-to-people relations are robust, encompassing formal cultural cooperation programs, significant Indian diaspora and student presence, academic-cultural centres, art exhibitions, and active bilateral exchanges in sports and education, underscored by diplomatic engagement and shared values.
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