Modi’s Landmark Visit to Trinidad: Strengthening Global South Alliances and Caribbean Partnerships -

PM Modi’s Visit to Trinidad and Tobago: Rekindling Historical Bonds and Shaping a Modern Partnership

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent state visit to Trinidad and Tobago in July 2025 marked a transformative moment in India’s relations with the Caribbean region. The visit part of Modi’s larger five-nation outreach to the Global South was not just symbolic but deeply strategic. As the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Trinidad and Tobago in over two decades, it revitalized historical connections and opened new pathways for economic, cultural, digital, and regional cooperation.

Historic Bonds, Shared Heritage

India and Trinidad and Tobago’s relationship goes back more than 175 years, rooted in the migration of indentured Indian laborers mostly Bhojpuri-speaking Girmitiyas who arrived aboard the Fatel Razack in 1845. These early migrants became the foundation of what is now a vibrant Indo-Trinidadian community, making up approximately 40–45% of the nation’s population. They have contributed immensely to the cultural, political, and economic fabric of Trinidad and Tobago. Formal diplomatic ties were established in 1962, the same year Trinidad and Tobago gained independence. Since then, the countries have shared warm relations, guided by mutual respect and growing cooperation across several sectors.

Major Agreements and Key Outcomes of the 2025 Visit

During his 2025 visit, PM Modi and Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar presided over the signing of six major Memoranda of Understanding, each aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation across essential development sectors. Here’s a closer look at what was achieved:

Trinidad and Tobago formally joined two major Indian-led global platforms the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA). This move aligns the island nation with India’s climate leadership goals and strengthens resilience against rising climate vulnerabilities, particularly important for small island developing states in the Caribbean.
India committed to supporting up to five Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) annually in Trinidad and Tobago, each valued at a maximum of USD 50,000. These grassroots initiatives will focus on improving healthcare, education, sanitation, and digital access at the community level.
A key agreement was signed to deepen pharmaceutical cooperation, allowing greater access to affordable Indian generic medicines and enabling patients from Trinidad and Tobago to seek medical treatment in Indian hospitals, thereby boosting healthcare diplomacy.
An MoU was concluded for diplomatic training and capacity building, under which Trinidadian diplomats will be trained at premier Indian institutions like the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service, and Indian experts will assist in local training efforts.
Trinidad and Tobago became the first Caribbean country to adopt India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI). In addition, both countries agreed to work together on India Stack digital solutions, including DigiLocker and e-Sign, laying the groundwork for inclusive and secure digital public infrastructure in the Caribbean context.

India deepened its cultural engagement by extending Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) eligibility to sixth-generation descendants of Indian origin in Trinidad and Tobago, recognizing long-standing ancestral ties. To further strengthen diaspora connections, India will establish two ICCR Chairs in Hindi and Indian Studies at the University of the West Indies, offer training for Hindu priests (pandits) from the Caribbean region, and gifted holy water from the Sarayu River and a replica of the Ram Mandir to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar—a symbolic tribute to her Bihari heritage and shared spiritual traditions.

Agriculture, Health, and Trade Support

India gifted the first batch of agro-machinery worth USD 1 million to Trinidad and Tobago’s NAMDEVCO (National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation) under a 2024 MoU. This will enhance local agricultural productivity.

Support was also extended for:

Millet cultivation
Seaweed-based organic fertilizers
Natural farming techniques

In the health sector, India’s Bringing High and Low Technology (HALT) project implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic under the India-UNDP Fund was highlighted as a successful model. This $1 million project delivered:

8 mobile healthcare robots
Telemedicine systems
Hygiene stations
Completed in August 2024, it showcased India’s commitment to health diplomacy in the Caribbean.

Growing Economic Engagement

Trade between the two nations continues to expand. In 2024–25:

India’s exports to Trinidad & Tobago stood at USD 120.65 million, mainly in pharmaceuticals, vehicles, and metals.
Imports from Trinidad & Tobago reached USD 220.96 million, led by chemicals, fuels, and industrial inputs.

The Most Favoured Nation (MFN) trade agreement signed in 1997 remains a key enabler of commercial cooperation.

Regional Solidarity and Strategic Alignment

Both sides pledged to deepen cooperation on counterterrorism, ocean security, and regional resilience. Trinidad and Tobago reaffirmed its support for India’s permanent seat at the UN Security Council, while India endorsed Trinidad’s bid for a non-permanent seat (2027–28).This strategic alignment is not just bilateral it also signals India’s growing engagement with CARICOM, reinforcing solidarity among Global South nations and amplifying shared concerns in global fora like the BRICS Summit and UNGA.

Conclusion: A Historic Visit with Future Impact

PM Modi’s visit to Trinidad and Tobago was far more than ceremonial. It rekindled the emotional ties of a shared past, laid down a practical developmental roadmap, and established new digital and strategic bridges between India and the Caribbean. As the world turns toward multipolarity and regional partnerships, this visit showed that India is not just looking West but also reaching across oceans, back toward its diaspora, and forward toward a shared, resilient future.

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