Jaishankar outlines India's transformation in interaction with diaspora in Jamaica

The article provides background: Jamaica has an Indian diaspora of around 70,000 people (about 3% of Jamaica's population) with ties to India; May 10 is observed as India Heritage Day in Jamaica.

In an op-ed published in Jamaica's national daily The Gleaner on Sunday, Jaishankar wrote about India and Jamaica as pluralistic democracies with market economies, emphasizing the diaspora as a living bridge for 180 years and describing the relationship as a story of continuity and change. He stated, 'Today, a community of approximately 70,000 people of Indian origin stands as a living bridge between our two countries.'

Jaishankar met with the Indian diaspora in Kingston, discussing India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development, and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship. He noted that Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness spoke warmly about the diaspora's contributions, and he shared these details in a social media post.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.