19 February 2010 | Premier Ewart Brown

So far as I am able to judge, nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his rounds. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked."
Mark Twain.

Mr. Speaker, those words of Mark Twain accurately describe the experience upon which I am pleased to report this morning. The Opposition and its media have been greatly exercised by my visit to India. I am pleased to share the facts with this Honourable House and a detailed account of a groundbreaking visit whose positive impact will be felt long after I have left this stage.

Mr. Speaker, at the risk of depriving the Combined Opposition of their only foil in the debate of ideas that should occupy us; I am pleased to attach to this Ministerial Statement a complete breakdown of the costs of this trip to India and I await the headline.

Mr. Speaker, I was accompanied by the Honourable Member Mr. W.M Lister and he can bear witness to the grueling schedule we kept during the few days that we were in the world’s largest democracy.

Mr. Speaker, on 7th February, after almost two days of travel, we began with a visit to the Outbound Travel Mart in Mumbai. This event boasted an attendance of over 20,000 people and Bermuda’s presence occupied a prime location among the over thirty countries represented there. Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to note that the other destinations competing for the Indian traveler were in many cases more difficult to get to than Bermuda and much further away. Some five hundred new contacts have been established and will be pursued. Indian tour operators offer packages to the east Coast of the United States and our air service makes adding a Bermuda experience to such an itinerary easy.

By the way, Mr. Speaker, the booth adjacent to the Bermuda Booth was that of Jamaica.

That same day, Mr. Speaker I attended the Whistling Woods Film Institute & Studios. The facility is the largest in Asia and is the leading site for the production of films in Bollywood….the play on words needs no explanation. Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members may be aware that I signed a Memorandum of Understanding at these Studios which will facilitate the attendance of Bermudian actors and artists at these state of the art facilities to study and perfect their craft among a student body representative of 20 countries.

Mr. Speaker, the first thing one has to be mindful of in India is the scale on which things are done. When I accepted the invitation to address the Rotary District Conference in Mumbai, I imagined that it would be similar to Rotary in Bermuda……no more than 30 at a time over a quiet lunch. Mr. Speaker, my address to this Conference was to a hall of 800 people and a further 1200 who watched the event via closed circuit television. I took the opportunity to share this Government’s plan for the Programme of National Service and to highlight Bermuda as a tourist destination. In keeping with the still jarring impact of the tragedy in Haiti, I was proud to advise that gathering of the generosity of Bermudians, exemplified in their giving to the relief effort for our sister Island.

Mr. Speaker, Mumbai is the financial centre of India and is the capital of the state of Maharastra. I was privileged to call upon the State’s Governor. In our discussion we focused on the effects of the global recession and I was interested to learn that India is among the economies that continue to realize considerable growth even in these challenging times. The warmth of the welcome we received was reflected in the subsequent media coverage in which the Governor expressed his hope that this visit would strengthen the ties between Bermuda and India.

Mr. Speaker, CNBC India is seen all over the Middle East and Sub-Continent of Asia. I was interviewed by one of its leading correspondents, Ms. Ishal Dalai and the coverage of Bermuda and our story was seen far and wide over the course of the few days we were there.

That evening, Mr. Speaker, I was an honoured guest at dinner with the CEO of Reliance Animation Company, Mr. Ashish Kulkarni and Mr. Rajkumar Hirani, the top film director in Bollywood. Mr. Speaker, having signed the MOU earlier in the day, I am pleased to advise Honourable Members that on this occasion Mr. Hirani indicated that he had researched Bermuda, was impressed with its beauty and considered that significant “song sequences” which are integral parts of any Bollywood feature could be filmed on our shores. Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members may not be aware that this is a potentially incredible boost to our popularity and our tourism. There are over 20 million Indians outside of India who continue to follow their culture and take their lead in trends from that set by Bollywood and its stars. Switzerland is among those locations that have seen double digit increases in tourism numbers directly as a result of Bollywood activity.

Mr. Speaker, let me pause for a moment and advise Honourable Members that five pages into this statement I am only now completing Day 1.

After Mumbai, Mr. Speaker it was on to Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu and the trade capital of southern India. Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of the Bermuda First Report’s recommendations, my first encounter on 8th February was with the Confederation of Indian Industry and Government. This group of some 40 CEOs of financial institutions and various large companies were keen to learn about Bermuda as a jurisdiction in which to do business. With such significant growth occurring in this third largest Asian economy, I cannot think of a better opportunity to lure new business to Bermuda. Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to advise this gathering of Bermuda’s pending TIEA with the Indian Government and made clear our desire to sign an IPPA or Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement with India.

Mr. Speaker, the South India Film Chamber and Film Federation of India were next. With members of the Indian Producers Council I signed a further Memorandum of Understanding to signal Bermuda’s willingness to be considered as a filming location for the Indian film industry. As I have indicated previously the possibilities are endless.

Later that afternoon, Mr. Speaker, I was honoured to address the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Some 300 attendees were keenly interested in Bermuda’s allure as a financial centre of choice and I fielded several questions about our jurisdiction’s leading status among the world’s reinsurers. Mr. Speaker, Gujarat Vittal Innovation City is a 2800 acre special economic zone and with its Chairman I signed a further MOU to permit the study of this zone and its activities and to promote access to its markets for Bermudian companies.

Mr. Speaker, in what I consider to be the highlight of this whirlwind visit, on 9th February I was again an honoured guest at a luncheon hosted by the Minster of State for External Affairs, Dr. Shashi Tharoor. With him were Admiral and Mrs. Kohli of the Indian Navy. Mr. Speaker, it was intended that the purpose of this luncheon was to again tell the Bermuda story and gain the confidence of the Indian Government in our bona fides and goodwill. However, Mr. Speaker, citing the genuine gestures made by this Government through my presence and engagement in India the Minister introduced me to ITEC or INDIAN TECHNICAL & ECONOMIC COOPERATION (ITEC). This programme, Mr. Speaker, is a bilateral program of assistance from the Government of India.

The civilian training program includes about 200 short, medium and long term courses conducted at 42 institutions across India. Many of the 42 institutions are the premier institutions in the country where obtaining admission is extremely difficult.

There are only 5000 admissions each year and participants are often senior civil servants, new Members of Parliament, and the best and brightest from the private sector. The required age group is 25 to 45 and available courses range from Information Technology, Management, Specialized courses, Technical courses, and civil service related training. Audit, Banking, Finance, Parliamentary studies, education planning & administration, crime records management, and environmental planning are some of the areas in which Government officials train. There are even courses such as "Use of Information Technology in Law Enforcement".

Young leaders who plan a career in public service or government such as the "future MPs" could also consider being trained. Courses usually range from 4 weeks to 52 weeks, but most are between 4 and 12 weeks.

The Government of India pays for round trip airfare, accommodation, a small living allowance, books and course fees. Most of the courses are usually held between August and March.

Mr. Speaker, this is a significant accomplishment and provides access to first rate training in a country whose outlook is a model of success that other countries are attempting to duplicate. Access to this highly regarded centre of learning on these incredibly favourable terms is ordinarily reserved for developing countries; but Mr. Speaker, this opportunity is extended to Bermuda purely because of the relationships forged during this visit and the face to face engagement that occurred during these few days.

Mr. Speaker, one need only mention the names of Tendulkar, Gambhir and Harbajahn Singh to know of the wealth of cricketing talent that India has produced. As a result I did not leave India without planting the seed for exchanges with their cricketing academy and our young players. I presented the Indian cricket authorities with a letter to this effect from Mr. Reginald Pearman, President of the Bermuda Cricket Board. I am pleased to advise this Honourable House that I expect that seed to bear fruit in the form of exciting opportunities at the same venues that produced such disciplined players as those I have mentioned.

Mr. Speaker, in the short time spent in India I am proud to say that the impression created in the name of Bermuda was an overwhelmingly favourable one. I have returned with discernible benefits for the people of Bermuda and real opportunities for exposure, education and enhanced skills for our people. Mr. Speaker, our fortunes may have been forged in a limited geographical sphere but there is no reason that we should continue to be defined by the ebb and flow of those traditional economies. The surge in influence from Asia cannot be ignored and for me I count it a requirement of leadership to show creativity, respect growth and success and to promote the expansion of the horizons, outlook and interests of Bermudians. Through this visit this has been achieved.