Jamaican PM Holness in India on his first visit, 5 points about India-Jamaica bilateral ties

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Tuesday acknowledged the bilateral relations it shares with India, saying that Jamaica has a lot to learn from the country.

Holness, who is on his first trip to India, said, “As India positions itself as the knowledge capital of the world, we recognize the remarkable strides made by your government in STEM education and digitalization. We, therefore, look forward to learning from India as a beacon of technological advancement and in the global south as the government of Jamaica seeks to equip itself and its people with the relevant skills to navigate this changing and dynamic world.”

#WATCH | Delhi: Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica says "As India positions itself as the knowledge capital of the world, we recognize the remarkable strides made by your government in STEM education and digitalization. We therefore look forward to learning from India as a… pic.twitter.com/Hx9QlDw4zv

— ANI (@ANI) October 1, 2024

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India has been a “trusted partner” in Jamaica’s development journey and that it is ready to share expertise in a range of areas, including digital public infrastructure, biofuel, innovation and health with the Caribbean nation.

The two countries are expected to sign several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in the next four days.

Holness will also visit Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.

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As both countries look forward to strengthening bilateral relations during Holness’ trip, here’s a look at India-Jamaica ties:

• Traditionally, India and Jamaica have shared similar interests in parliamentary democracy, membership in the Commonwealth

• Jamaica is home to over 70,000 Indians and is one of the ‘Grimtya’ countries that host indentured labourers

• India was one of the first countries to recognise Jamaica after it became an independent nation while diplomatic relations between the two nations were established in 1962

• Following the visit of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to Jamaica (1975), a resident mission was established in Kingston in 1976. A resident mission of Jamaica in India started functioning in 2020

• Bilateral trade has witnessed significant growth over the past decade, increasing from USD 28 million in 2011-12 to USD 116 million in 2023-24. The trade in 2023-24 grew 26 per cent compared to the previous year, according to official data.

With inputs from PTI