India has provided machinery for the establishment of an integrated automatic fruit and vegetable processing plant in Trinidad and Tobago, as part of a Government of India grant worth INR 1 million, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Monday.
The machinery, which was shipped under India’s grant initiative, aims to support the local population and enhance the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector in Trinidad and Tobago. In a statement on social media platform X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized the significance of the support: “Together for the people of Trinidad & Tobago. India sent machinery to establish an integrated automatic fruit and vegetable processing plant under a GOI grant of INR 1 million today. This will support the local population and boost the SME sector of Trinidad & Tobago.”
The relationship between India and Trinidad and Tobago has been further strengthened through various diplomatic initiatives. During the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas earlier this year, Christine Kangaloo, President of Trinidad and Tobago, acknowledged India’s historic contributions to global development, including the creation of the ancient Takshila University, the invention of zero, and advancements in mathematics.
India and Trinidad and Tobago share a warm and enduring relationship, grounded in deep people-to-people connections. Last November, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Amery Browne, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Keith Rowley were also present at the summit.
On the sidelines of the summit, Prime Minister Modi met with Prime Minister Rowley to discuss enhancing trade relations between the two nations. The two leaders explored potential areas of collaboration, including science, healthcare, education, renewable energy, and agriculture. Prime Minister Modi also expressed his satisfaction at Trinidad and Tobago’s adoption of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system and welcomed the signing of an MoU in agro and food processing.
The historical bond between India and Trinidad and Tobago dates back to 1845 when the first ship, Fatel Razack, brought 225 Indian indentured workers to the Caribbean island. Today, the descendants of these workers make up nearly 42 percent of Trinidad and Tobago’s population, playing a pivotal role in strengthening bilateral ties.
Over the years, both countries have had numerous high-level exchanges, with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Trinidad and Tobago in 2009, and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago visiting India in 2012. The recent meetings between Prime Ministers Modi and Rowley continue to build on this strong foundation of cooperation.