India pledges $2m to Indian Arrival Day after Jaishankar’s Old Harbour visit

The announcement capped a historic first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian External Affairs Minister to Jamaica, where Dr. Jaishankar met with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith, to sign several major agreements and unveil a series of development and disaster relief projects.

“Yesterday (May 3), I had the honour to visit the Indian Arrival Memorial along with Ministers Grange and Bartlett at Old Harbour, where I paid tribute to the enduring legacy of the Indian diaspora,” Dr. Jaishankar said at a press conference in Kingston. “I am happy to announce that we are contributing Jamaican dollars two million for the celebration of 181 years of arrival of Indians in Jamaica on the occasion of Indian Arrival Day.”

The financial contribution will help fund festivities marking the anniversary of the arrival of the first Indian indentured labourers to the island, a community whose descendants have profoundly shaped Jamaican society, economy, and culture.

On May 10, 1845, the first batch of Indians – 261 to be precise – arrived on the Blundell ship at Old Harbour Bay, signalling the start of a shared bond and legacy between both nations that has become inseparable on many fronts. 

The cultural announcement was part of a sweeping review of India-Jamaica relations. Demonstrating its commitment to disaster response, Dr. Jaishankar highlighted the symbolic handover of one consignment of 10 BHISHM (portable disaster hospital) cubes to aid recovery from Hurricane Melissa. This follows an earlier delivery of 20 tonnes of relief material via an Indian Air Force plane and the deployment of a medical team.

Other key aid initiatives announced include:

• 30 dialysis units to strengthen local health infrastructure.
• 40 fishing boats and 200 GPS units to support livelihood recovery post-hurricane.
• A $1 million rural livelihoods project already completed in Kitson Town, benefiting over 200 individuals directly.

Dr. Jaishankar also recalled a lighter moment of the visit: unveiling an electronic scoreboard at Sabina Park, a gift “from cricket lovers of India to the cricket lovers of Jamaica.”

On the capacity-building front, India has dramatically increased its ITEC training slots for Jamaicans from four to over 34 this year, alongside 46 additional programme slots and five ICCR scholarships for higher studies.

Discussions also touched on the recruitment of skilled professionals, including nurses and teachers, and recognizing Jamaica’s strategic role as a logistics hub and gateway to the Caribbean.

Dr. Jaishankar concluded by stating the visit marks a “higher trajectory” for the partnership, adding, “I am confident that the outcomes of our discussions will contribute to a stronger, more dynamic, more beneficial and more trusting partnership between our two countries.”