The history of the bondage linking Greece and India dates back to ancient times, starting even before Alexander the Great's arrival in 327 B.C., when Greek navigators (Yavanas of Tamil literature) used to trade with Southern Indian cities. The interaction between these two ancient and imaginative civilizations through the centuries and the presence of an important Greek community in Bengal since the mid 18th Century, were instrumental in the development of a warm and privileged relationship in the second half of the twentieth century.

Diplomatic relations between India and Greece were established in May 1950.

Already in the sixties, political relations between Greece and India were characterised by the personal friendship developed between Jawahar Lal Nehru and the Greek leadership of those times.

Later on in the seventies, then Prime Minister C. Karamanlis conscious of the need to develop further the traditional Indo-Hellenic ties enjoyed a close relationship with Indian leaders and had visited India.

In the eighties, this relationship was further strengthened through the close cooperation established between Prime Ministers-Indira Gandhi, Andreas Papandreou and later on Rajiv Gandhi, within the framework of the "Initiative of the Six" of May 22nd 1984, favouring and striving for an international nuclear disarmament, while Andreas Papandreou visited India twice during that period. The President of India, H.E. Mr. Giani Zail Singh also visited Greece officially in 1986.

In the nineties, the Indian President H.E. Mr. S. D. Sharma visited Athens in 1993.

The Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Mr. S. Khurshid visited Greece in 1994, while the Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Y. Kranidiotis visited New Delhi in 1997.

In 1996, the Office of the Defence Attache was established at the Embassy of Greece in New Delhi.

In January 1998, the Greek President paid an official visit to India which set in motion a new era in our bilateral relations. Later that year the Greek Minister of Defence Mr. A. Tsohatzopoulos visited India officially. This was the first visit of a Greek Defence Minister to India and inaugurated a new field of cooperation.

In 1998 and 1999, the Chiefs of the Indian and Hellenic Air Force exchanged official visits, while for two consecutive years students of the Indian National Defence College visited Greece.

In 2000, the Office of Economic and Commercial Affairs was established at the Embassy of Greece in New Delhi.

In December 2000, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece , Mr. Geogre A. Papandreou paid an official visit to India , Nepal and Bangladesh. 

During his stay in India, he visited Calcutta and New Delhi, where he held talks with his counterpart Foreign Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh and was received by His Excellency, the President of India, Mr. K. Narayanan as well as H.E. the Prime Minister, Mr. A. Vajpayee. He also met the Leader of the Opposition Ms. Sonia Gandhi. 

In February 2001, the Prime Minister of Greece H.E. Mr. Konstantinos Simitis paid an official visit to India upon an invitation extended to him by the Prime Minister of India H.E. Mr. A. Vajpayee. 

During this visit the Prime Minnister held talks with H.E. Mr. K.R.Narayanan, President of the Republic of India, H.E. Mr. A. Vajpayee., Prime Minister of India and Mrs. Sonia Gandhi the leader of the Opposition. He was also conserred the honorary Doctoraite of Laws by the J.N.U.

While in India he visited Jaipur & Mumbai where he participated at a business meeting organised by the C.I.I.

Expressing the sentiments of solidarity of the Greek people for the victims of the Gujrat earthquake the Greek Government channeled funds & equipment for humanitarian assistance during the first week followind the calamities amounting to approx. 1.2 million US$, part of which was announced by the visiting Prime Minister.

The new Chancery and Residence of the Embassy of Greece in New Delhi was inaugurated on 6th February 2001.

Greece and India have signed various bilateral agreements :
- For Economic and Technological cooperation
- A Sea Transport Agreement
- For cooperation in the sectors of Science and Technology
- An Agreement on Culture and Education
- An Agreement on Tourism Cooperation

A Memorandum on Defence Cooperation was signed between the two countries in 1998, while annual consultations between the respective Foreign Ministries have been taking place since 1993.

Agreements Under Negotiation include :
-An Agreement on Promotion of Investment and Avoidance of Double Taxation
-An Agreement on Judicial Cooperation and Extradition

Two Greek NGO's are active in India, providing assistance in the sector of social development.