July 19, 2018
His Excellency Mr Y K Sinha, the Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, will visit Jersey from Friday 20 July to Sunday 22 July 2018.
This is the first time the High Commissioner has visited the Channel Islands. The first day of his visit will focus on strengthening government and business links, with the second day on community, heritage and conservation.
On Friday, the High Commissioner will have an introductory meeting with the Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré, to discuss government cooperation between Jersey and India, followed by a formal lunch hosted by the Minister for External Relations, Senator Ian Gorst.
In the afternoon, His Excellency will have the opportunity to meet with finance industry representatives, and then will attend an event hosted by Jersey Business and the Jersey Chamber of Commerce to learn more about non-financial services businesses in Jersey with interests or links in India.
Community events taking place on Saturday include a match between local cricket teams International Royals, comprised of Indian nationals living in the Island, and Rathbones OVs. This will be followed by a lunch at Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, sponsored by InfrasoftTech, with representatives from the Indian community and businesses. The High Commissioner will also be given a presentation about Durrell’s approach to conservation including the Pygmy Hog project in Assam, India.
Senator Ian Gorst, the Minister for External Relations, commented:
“This is the first official visit to the Island by an Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. It is a significant opportunity to highlight Jersey’s interest in enhancing links with one of the powerhouses of the global economy.
“We are privileged to have a thriving Indian community living and working in Jersey who contribute to the Island’s economy and culture. I am pleased that the High Commissioner will have an opportunity to meet with some of those community members during the events over the weekend.
“The Government of Jersey is committed to diversifying the economy and developing links with dynamic global markets, contributing to our objective of delivering jobs and growth for all Islanders – in the context of Brexit, our developing relationship with India is critical to this strategy.”
The High Commissioner will be a guest of His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor at Government House during his stay. He will also be the guest of honour at a formal dinner hosted by the Bailiff, Sir William Bailhache.
The High Commissioner’s visit will end with a tour of Mont Orgueil Castle by Jersey Heritage, and a boat trip to the Ecréhous – accompanied by the Minister for the Environment, Deputy John Young – to better understand the Island’s unique marine environment, history, and relationship with France.
India is the world’s largest democracy (population 1.2 billion). By the end of the next decade, the UN expects India to have overtaken China as the world’s most populous nation. India’s economic growth is equally impressive, with a projected growth rate of 7% for 2018. India also has the world’s largest youth population; by 2050, it is projected that India will be the world’s second largest economy behind only China.
Jersey and India have shared business connections for many decades. Indian banks established a presence in Jersey as far back as the mid-1970s. More recently, there has been an increasing use of Jersey investment vehicles to conduit international capital into India to fund infrastructure projects and enable Indian businesses to expand internationally. Several India-focused private fund and corporate structures are administered in Jersey, with Jersey investment structures used to support fund launches, listings and other transactions. Jersey also hosts a number of successful companies of Indian origin: Bharti Enterprise Group – Airtel Vodafone; Infrasoft Technologies; and Minerva TCSP.
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