Port of Spain, May 10 — External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said India is deepening its engagement with the Indian-origin community in Trinidad and Tobago and noted growing interest in the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) scheme after Prime Minister Narendra Modi expanded eligibility to the sixth generation of the diaspora.
Speaking at Nelson Island alongside Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Jaishankar said the move reflects India’s commitment to strengthening ancestral and cultural ties with communities in the Caribbean.
Jaishankar posted on X that he delivered remarks at Nelson Island, the historic site where the Girmitiyas — the first Indian indentured labourers — arrived in Trinidad and Tobago. He said he joined Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar for a Quick Impact Project on the island aimed at preserving and showcasing this shared heritage, a project supported by Indian assistance.
Referring to Prime Minister Modi’s earlier announcement, Jaishankar recalled that the government had decided to extend OCI cards up to the sixth generation of the Indian diaspora in Trinidad and Tobago. He added that applications to the High Commission have been increasing rapidly.
“I understand that a number of OCI applications received by the High Commission are growing, and it will be our endeavour to facilitate others who may not necessarily have access to the required paperwork,” Jaishankar said, pledging efforts to make the process easier for those who face documentation hurdles.
Jaishankar’s visit to Nelson Island was part of a three-nation Caribbean tour from May 2 to May 10. He concluded engagements in Trinidad and Tobago with an interaction with the local Indian community, underlining the enduring cultural and historical bonds between the countries.
Earlier in the tour, Jaishankar conducted high-level visits to Jamaica and Suriname between May 2 and 7, part of an intensified push to deepen ties across the region.
The extension of OCI eligibility was first announced by Prime Minister Modi during his visit to Trinidad and Tobago in July 2025, a visit whose joint statement noted that May 30, 2025, marked the 180th anniversary of the arrival of the first Indian immigrants to the country. Both leaders emphasized Nelson Island’s value for cultural tourism and the importance of digitising Indian arrival and related archival records.
The Ministry of External Affairs has underlined the decision to issue OCI cards up to the sixth generation for Trinidad and Tobago’s Indian diaspora. This report is based on a syndicated ANI feed.
