Excellencies,
It gives me immense pleasure to host the second India-CARICOM Summit with my friends, President Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell. I extend a heartfelt welcome to all members of the CARICOM family and especially thank President Irfaan Ali for the excellent organization of this Summit.
A few months ago, the devastation caused by "Hurricane Beryl" led to significant loss of life and property in some countries. On behalf of all Indians, I express deep condolences.
Excellencies,
Our meeting today is taking place after a gap of five years. During these five years, the world has undergone many changes, and humanity has faced several tensions and crises.
These have had the greatest and most negative impact on countries like ours in the Global South. That is why India has always strived to work together with CARICOM to address shared challenges.
Be it COVID, natural disasters, capacity building, or development initiatives, India has stood shoulder to shoulder with all of you as a reliable partner.
Excellencies,
In our last meeting, we identified several new and positive initiatives. I am pleased that progress is being made on all of them. To further strengthen our cooperation in the future, I would like to present some proposals.
These proposals are based on seven main pillars, and these pillars are: C, A, R, I, C, O, M, i.e., CARICOM.
The first, 'C,' stands for Capacity Building. India has consistently contributed to the capacity building of CARICOM countries through scholarships, training, and technical assistance. Today, I propose an increase of 1,000 slots in ITEC scholarships provided by India for the next five years.
To promote technical training and skill development among youth, we have established a Technical Development Centre in Belize. We will expand its scale and size for the use of all CARICOM countries.
We will also work on establishing a Forensic Centre for the CARICOM region. For the continuous capacity building of civil servants, we have developed the "i-GOT Karmayogi Portal" in India.
This portal offers online courses in areas like technology, administration, law, and education. A similar portal can be created for CARICOM countries. As the mother of democracy, India is also ready to work with its CARICOM partners on parliamentary training.
The second, 'A,' stands for Agriculture and Food Security. In the agricultural sector, technologies like drones, digital farming, farm mechanization, and soil testing have transformed agriculture in India. Along with nano fertilizers, we are also focusing on natural farming. To promote food security, we are promoting millets. On India’s initiative, the UN declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
Millets are a superfood that can grow in any climate. For CARICOM countries, they can serve as an effective means to combat climate change and enhance food security. In your region, "Sargassum seaweed" is a significant problem. It also impacts the hotel and tourism industry.
In India, we have developed the technology to produce fertilizers from this seaweed. This technology can provide a solution to this problem while increasing crop yields. India is ready to share all these experiences with CARICOM countries.
The third, 'R,' stands for Renewable Energy and Climate Change. Environmental challenges are a priority issue for all of us. To enhance global coordination in this area, we initiated the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), and Global Biofuel Alliance.
I am pleased that you are part of the International Solar Alliance. I urge you to join the other initiatives as well. In the field of renewable energy, we are investing on a large scale. Our proposal is to assist in making at least one government building in each CARICOM country solar-powered.
The fourth, 'I,' stands for Innovation, Technology, and Trade.
Today, India is recognized as a hub of technology and startups. India's uniqueness lies in the fact that the technology solutions developed here emerge from the diversity of our society and the test of time. Hence, their success is guaranteed in any country around the world. Through India's Digital Public Infrastructure, also known as India Stack, we are revolutionizing every sector of the economy.
Today, millions of people in India receive direct benefit transfers with a single click. Countries like the UAE, Singapore, France, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Mauritius are already connected with India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
I propose that we work together to adopt UPI in CARICOM countries as well. We have developed a cloud-based DigiLocker platform for citizens to securely store their documents.
We can launch this platform as a pilot project in CARICOM countries. To make public procurement more convenient and transparent in India, we developed the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal.
From medical equipment and computers to furniture and kids’ toys, everything is available on this portal. We would be delighted to share this portal with CARICOM countries. To promote the 5Ts – Trade, Technology, Tourism, Talent, and Tradition, we can create an online portal connecting private sectors and stakeholders of all countries.
India is progressing rapidly in the SME sector. During the India-CARICOM meeting last year, we announced a grant of 1 million dollars for SME projects. We must accelerate the implementation of this grant. India is among the leading countries in the world in Space Technology. Using space technology, we can work together in areas like resource mapping, climate studies, and agriculture in CARICOM countries.
In September last year, during the G-20 Summit, we announced the G-20 Satellite for Environment and Climate Observation. It will be launched by 2027. We will share the data from this mission with all countries worldwide, especially those in the Global South.
The fifth, 'C,' stands for Cricket and Culture. Cricket is a significant and vital connecting link between our countries. Be it the 1983 Cricket World Cup final or the IPL, Indians have a special fondness for West Indian cricketers.
This year’s T-20 World Cup hosted in your region has further enhanced the attraction of Indian cricket fans towards the Caribbean. And I am not saying this just because India won that World Cup! I propose that, along with strengthening cricket relations, we promote women’s empowerment by training eleven young women cricketers from each CARICOM country in India.
To showcase our shared cultural heritage on the global stage, we can organize Days of Indian Culture in CARICOM countries next year. Given Bollywood's popularity, we can collaborate to organize film festivals with CARICOM countries.
The sixth, 'O,' stands for Ocean Economy and Maritime Security. For India, you are not Small Island States but Large Ocean Countries.
To enhance connectivity in this region, I propose that we supply passenger and cargo ferries. We can work together on maritime domain mapping and hydrography. Last year, CARICOM released its Maritime Security Strategy.
This strategy highlights issues like drug trafficking, piracy, illegal fishing, human trafficking, as well as the untapped potential of economic cooperation. India will be delighted to enhance cooperation with you on all these issues.
The seventh, 'M,' stands for Medicine and Healthcare. The health security of CARICOM countries is a high-priority subject for India.
India has opened Jan Aushadhi Kendras to provide quality and affordable healthcare to the common man. I propose that we establish similar centers in all CARICOM countries. We can expedite this effort by entering into agreements for mutual recognition of pharmacopoeias between India and all CARICOM countries.
We are also willing to consider establishing Drug Testing Labs in CARICOM countries. Cancer and other non-communicable diseases are a significant challenge in CARICOM countries. To combat this, we will provide the Siddharth Two cancer therapy machine developed in India.
For convenient and on-the-spot treatment in remote locations, we have developed "Bhisma" mobile hospitals in India. These can be set up within minutes and provide immediate treatment for all types of trauma. We would be happy to make these mobile hospitals available to CARICOM friends.
To provide humanitarian assistance through artificial limbs to disabled individuals, we propose organizing Jaipur Foot camps annually in a CARICOM country. We also propose providing Dialysis Units and sea ambulances.
To combat lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hypertension, yoga is very effective. Focused on harmonizing the mind and body, this practice is a gift of Indian civilization to humanity.
In 2015, the UN recognized it as International Yoga Day. To encourage its adoption from a young age, we can incorporate yoga into school curriculums. We also propose sending yoga teachers and trainers from India to all CARICOM countries. Additionally, we can work on yoga therapy and the use of Indian traditional medicines in CARICOM countries.
Excellencies,
The seven pillars of "CARICOM" have one thing in common – they are all based on your priorities and needs. This is the fundamental principle of our cooperation. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on these subjects.
Thank you very much.
