Barbados
Barbados and India enjoy close and cordial relations and interact actively in the UN, Commonwealth and NAM. Barbadian government has expressed interest in pursuing cooperation with India in the field of information technology, cotton cultivation and textile industry, film industry, academic exchanges, cultural cooperation etc.
Cooperation to tackle the challenge of COVID-19 Pandemic
- India provided life-saving drugs and protective gear worth $100,000 to the Barbados government and people, in a solidarity effort against the Covid-19 pandemic.
- India donated 100,000 doses of Covid vaccine to Barbados on February 9, 2021.
- Another Project under India-UNDP Fund “Support on Covid-19 Response” at a cost of US$ 675,000, aims to strengthen Barbados’ medical sector with the specific objective of procurement of medical equipment, a Refrigerated Truck, 20 ventilators and 25 ICU beds has been completed with handover of 107 items of medical equipment that will benefit 13 medical centers in Barbados.
Capacity Building & Other Exchanges
- On February 28th, 2024, Barbados Museum and Historical Society launched the Bengal to Barbados digital project in collaboration with the Bengal to Barbados Foundation Inc. and East Indian communities. The project showcases the diversity and impact of East Indian-Bajan identity, the Migration stories from the regions of Bengal, Gujarat, Sindh, and South India.
- Foreign Service Officials Affairs participated in the PCFD/CARICOM special diplomatic training programme at Foreign Service Institute at New Delhi in 2017.
- As part of capacity building trainings, nearly 31 professionals from Barbados have been trained in India under ITEC since 2002. Of these, 8 professionals have been trained just in the previous 9 years since 2014-15.
Development Cooperation (Grants/ LoCs/ Assistance)
- Under the India-UN Development Partnership Fund -Commonwealth Window and implemented by UNOSSC, a USD 1 million grant has been provided. The project for ‘Local Content Development in Energy Industry value chain’ to the value of USD 550,000 was approved. The key components of the project were handed over to the Minister for Energy and Business in August 2023. The project is in the last stage of completion.
- On February 28th, 2024, Barbados Museum and Historical Society launched the Bengal to Barbados digital project in collaboration with the Bengal to Barbados Foundation Inc. and East Indian communities. The project showcases the diversity and impact of East Indian-Bajan identity, the Migration stories from the regions of Bengal, Gujarat, Sindh, and South India.
- In September, 2019, India announced an US$14m grant and US$150m LoC for solar, renewable energy, and climate change projects for CariCom member states including Barbados.
