BVI can be India’s gateway to global finance — Premier

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has said the British Virgin Islands can serve as a gateway for Indian companies seeking access to global investment, as the territory moves to deepen its financial services relationship with the country.

Dr Wheatley made the statement during the BVI’s first official financial services trade mission to India, which includes engagements in New Delhi, GIFT City, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

“The BVI can serve as a gateway to the world, while India, and particularly GIFT City, can provide an entry point into India. Together, we can facilitate greater cross-border investment,” Dr Wheatley stated in an interview with the Economic Times.

The Premier said India’s population, economic growth and goal of achieving developed-country status by 2047 offered significant opportunities for cooperation.

“We see the BVI fitting very well into India’s growth story,” Premier Wheatley stated.

Trading reputation

He said the BVI could help facilitate foreign direct investment into India through its business company product. The territory has more than 370,000 registered companies, while investors across several markets already use BVI structures.

“The BVI company is well known and well respected. We trade on our reputation, and that reputation has been built over the course of approximately 40 years,” Dr Wheatley stated.

He also highlighted the territory’s regulatory framework, English common law system, Commercial Court and network of legal and financial services professionals operating internationally, including in India.

The BVI delegation met India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and other government representatives in New Delhi recently. Dr Wheatley said the BVI also planned to engage regulators, lawyers, chambers of commerce and financial services practitioners during the mission.

He identified a possible memorandum of understanding and strategic partnership between the BVI and GIFT City as areas for discussion.

The Premier said the visit could also strengthen cooperation in financial technology, digital government services, healthcare and tourism. Bengaluru, India’s technology centre, would provide opportunities to discuss investment and the BVI’s access to Indian technological expertise.

The mission runs from August 24 to 31 and follows a year-long outreach programme conducted in India during 2025 through the BVI Government Representative Office in Hong Kong. The delegation is promoting corporate structuring, investment funds, private wealth, financial technology and cross-border business.

Dr Wheatley said the territory also wanted to diversify its Asian business relationships beyond Hong Kong and China.

“We want to remain in regular contact because we do not see this visit through the lens of short-term objectives. We see it as the beginning of a long-term and lasting partnership,” Dr Wheatley stated.