Modi’s Caribbean Outreach: People of Indian origin make up over 40% of the 1.36 million people living in Trinidad and Tobago, which is the second stop on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s five-country tour.
During his visit on Friday, PM Modi announced that Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards will now be given to sixth-generation Indians living in Trinidad and Tobago.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first Indian leader to visit Trinidad and Tobago since 2009. While speaking to the Indian community there, alongside Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar—the country’s first woman leader—Modi called for stronger cooperation between the two countries in economy, security, and technology.
Trinidad and Tobago is the second stop of PM Modi’s five-nation tour. Many people in the country are of Indian origin, descended from workers who first came from India in 1845. Today, this is the largest Indian-origin community in the Caribbean, and they still maintain the strong connections with the Country India.
Modi praised that the community for their achievements and close ties to India. He announced that OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) cards will now be offered to the sixth-generation descendants of Indian families living in Trinidad and Tobago.
Modi’s Caribbean Outreach: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that “You are not just connected by blood or surname. You are connected by belonging. India looks out for you, welcomes you, and embraces you. He speaks in English and Hindi in both the language.
He praised the descendants of the “girmitiyas” (indentured Indian workers) in Trinidad and Tobago, saying they are no longer defined by their difficult past but by their success. He highlighted the achievements of leaders and public figures of Indian origin such as Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, President Christine Carla Kangaloo, musician Sundar Popo, and cricketer Daren Ganga.
Modi said the Indian diaspora now includes 35 million people around the world, and each one is an ambassador of India’s culture, values, and heritage.
It will include details of the villages and cities their ancestors came from, and the places where they settled this project and will help strengthen the deep and historic ties with people in Trinidad and Tobago. He also shared that India is also working on a comprehensive database of the Girmitiya community.
Persad-Bissessar spoke in her speech about the strong relationship between the two countries and thanked India for sending vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also announced that PM Modi will be awarded the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the nation’s highest civilian honour, on this Saturday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was warmly welcomed by Kamla Persad-Bissessar and nearly the entire Trinidad and Tobago cabinet, said that India will soon be one of the world’s top three economies. He also highlighted India’s major advancements in areas like artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and quantum computing, calling them new engines of growth.
Modi called for stronger trade, security, and technology ties between India and Trinidad and Tobago.
He said, “Our Mission Manufacturing is turning India into a global manufacturing hub. Today, we are the world’s second-largest mobile phone maker. In the last 10 years, our defence exports have grown 20 times. We are not just making in India—we are also making for the world. As India grows, we want the world to grow with us.”
Modi also promoted India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), calling it a digital revolution.
“Nearly 50% of the world’s real-time digital payments now happen in India,” he said.
He congratulated Trinidad and Tobago for becoming the first country in the Caribbean to adopt UPI.
With a light-hearted remarked, he added:
“Now, sending money will be as easy as sending a ‘good morning’ text! And I promise that it will be a faster than West Indies bowling.”
Also Read: PM Modi Strengthens Cultural Ties with Trinidad & Tobago
