Port of Spain [Trinidad and Tobago], July 4 (HBTV): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (local time) announced that citizens of Indian origin in Trinidad and Tobago, up to the sixth generation, will now be eligible for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards, allowing them to live and work in India without restrictions.

Addressing the Indian community in Port of Spain during his first visit to the Caribbean nation as Prime Minister, PM Modi emphasised the strong emotional and cultural bonds that connect India with its diaspora.

‘Today, I’m happy to announce that the OCI cards will be given to the sixth generation of the Indian diaspora in Trinidad and Tobago. We aren’t just connected by blood or surname. You are connected by belonging. India welcomes, and India embraces you!’ PM Modi said.

He encouraged members of the Indian-origin community to reconnect with their ancestral land.

‘I encourage all of you to visit India more in person, and not just virtually via social media. Visit the villages of your ancestors. Walk the soil they walked on. Bring your children and neighbours. Bring anyone who enjoys chai and a good story. We will welcome all of you with open arms, warm hearts and jalebi,’ he said.

PM Modi also congratulated Trinidad and Tobago for becoming the first country in the region to adopt India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system.

‘I congratulate Trinidad and Tobago for being the first country in the region to adopt UPI. Now, sending money will be as easy as sending a Good Morning text message. I promise it will be faster than the bowling of the West Indies,’ he remarked.

Highlighting India's rapid economic progress, the Prime Minister said the country has become the fastest-growing major economy in the world and has lifted millions out of poverty.

‘India is the fastest-growing major economy in the world. Soon, we will be among the top three economies of the world. The fruits of India’s growth and progress are reaching the most needy. India has proved that we can defeat poverty by empowering the poor. The World Bank has noted that India has lifted over 250 million people above extreme poverty in the last decade. India’s growth is being powered by our innovative and energetic youth,’ he said.

He also spoke about India’s recent achievements in space exploration, including the Chandrayaan-3 Moon mission, the Axiom-4 mission, and the upcoming Gaganyaan mission.

‘I am sure everyone amongst you feels proud when India grows. For the New India, even the sky is not the limit. All of you must have cheered when India’s Chandrayaan-3 landed on the Moon. We named the place where it landed as Shiv Shakti point. An Indian astronaut is onboard the International Space Station as we speak. We are now working on a manned space mission, Gaganyaan. Soon, an Indian will walk on the Moon, and India will have its own space station. We don’t just count the stars, we try to reach them through missions like the Aaditya mission. The Moon is not far from us. India’s achievements in space are not just ours—we are sharing their fruits with the rest of the world,’ PM Modi said.

This is Prime Minister Modi’s first bilateral visit to Trinidad and Tobago and the first such visit by an Indian Prime Minister since 1999. The visit is being held at the invitation of Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. (ANI)