India and Guyana Extend $500 Million Line of Credit

On November 5, 2026, India announced a $500 million Line of Credit extension to Guyana. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar made the announcement during a meeting with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda.

Credit and cooperation agreements

The credit line is earmarked for public and defence infrastructure, including roads, health-sector improvements and defence initiatives. The announcement follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Guyana in November 2024. The two countries also signed agreements covering the supply and installation of Micro and Small Enterprises manufacturing projects, grant assistance for Quick Impact Projects, and cooperation in Digital Public Infrastructure. The digital cooperation aims to implement a UPI-like system in Guyana.

Important Facts for Exams

• Interest on drawings: A line of credit normally incurs no interest until the borrower draws some or all of the available facility.
• UPI payment interface: UPI supports instant inter-bank peer-to-peer and person-to-merchant payments, using a unique UPI ID to transfer funds between bank accounts.
• Four-pillar settlement: UPI’s interoperable model pairs remitter and beneficiary payment-service-provider front ends with back-end banks that settle the transaction.