Redefining Trinidad and Tobago-India relations

DR HRIDAY SARMA

“LET US never forget, then, our duty to their memory – to continue to build our Trinidad and Tobago into a place of peace, tolerance, happiness, and progress for all of our citizens.”

These words from Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Indian Arrival Day 2025 resonate deeply as TT marks the 180th anniversary of the arrival of the Fatel Razack. The journey of the first Indian indentured labourers from across the kala pani to the Caribbean shores is not just a story of displacement and toil – it is a story of endurance, identity, and cultural contribution.

But commemorating the past must now lead us to engage with the future. Indian Arrival Day has largely been a celebration of heritage, community, and shared traditions. It is time to expand its meaning – building on cultural roots while forging a more dynamic and mutually beneficial relationship in trade, investment, digital transformation, and innovation.

The foundations for this evolution are already in place. In 2024, TT became the first Caribbean nation to adopt India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) – a secure, real-time digital payments system that is revolutionising financial inclusion. This partnership, facilitated by the Ministry of Digital Transformation and India’s National Payments Corporation, is more than just a tech transfer; it is an example of how Global South solidarity can leapfrog traditional infrastructure gaps.

Alongside this, TT has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to adopt components of India Stack – a set of open digital public infrastructure tools including Aadhaar (digital identity), DigiLocker, and other APIs that help governments and citizens interact in more transparent, efficient ways. If fully implemented, these tools could transform how public services are delivered in TT – from health and education to banking and social welfare.

On the economic front, there is notable momentum. According to official data, India imported US$281.13 million worth of goods from TT in 2024, while TT imported US$156.89 million from India. These figures demonstrate a strong and growing trade relationship, with India currently importing more than it exports to TT.

The trade balance, while healthy, shows room for both diversification and collaboration in high-value sectors like pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, ICT, and agro-technology.

A step in that direction was the MoU signed in November 2024 on integrated automated fruit and vegetable processing. Under this initiative, India committed up to US$1 million in financing and technical assistance to support TT’s agro-processing sector. The goal is not only to modernise food systems, but also to create skilled jobs and open up export opportunities across the Caribbean and Latin America.

These signs of progress are welcome, but they also highlight a need for more structured, high-level engagement between the two governments. Mechanisms such as a bilateral investment treaty or a preferential trade agreement – tailored to small-island economies – could help attract Indian private capital to TT’s priority sectors. TT, for its part, can serve as a Caribbean gateway for Indian companies looking to expand into the Western Hemisphere.

Technology and trade aside, deeper co-operation is also needed in education, research, and cultural exchange. Scholarships, fellowships, and institutional collaborations can help develop a new generation of leaders and professionals who are as comfortable talking about Bollywood as they are about blockchain. In the long term, these people-to-people links will serve as the backbone of a modern partnership rooted not just in nostalgia, but in shared ambition.

As global geopolitics becomes more complex and multipolar, small nations like TT and rising powers like India need each other more than ever. By supporting each other’s development goals, championing South-South co-operation, and innovating together in areas like fintech, healthcare, and climate resilience, the two countries can model a new kind of partnership – equal, future-focused, and community-driven.

Indian Arrival Day, in its next chapter, must become a symbol of not only heritage, but also aspiration. The story that began in 1845 is far from over. What began with toil and faith must now be renewed with trust and innovation.

Let us build on the cultural legacy of our ancestors – not just by remembering their sacrifices, but by investing in a future where India and TT thrive together.

Dr Hriday Sarma is a advocate specialising in cross-border trade matters and a senior fellow at South Asia Democratic Forum, Brussels