The mission brought together 13 BVI firms spanning law, trust, corporate services and fintech, alongside BVI Finance, the BVI Government and the BVI Financial Services Commission. All participants have since reported positive engagements and direct business leads arising from the mission, reinforcing the commercial potential of the Indian market for BVI financial services providers.
Across New Delhi, GIFT City, Mumbai and Bengaluru, the delegation met with Indian businesses, investors and financial services professionals to better understand their international ambitions and explore opportunities for closer collaboration.
A Growing Market for BVI Businesses
The mission built on more than two decades of investment ties between India and the BVI. Between 2000 and 2026, $9.55 billion of Indian overseas direct investment flowed to the BVI, placing the Territory among the top ten destinations for cumulative Indian ODI.
The relationship also presents opportunities for further growth. Our Beyond Globalisation Report projects that India will grow faster than any other country or region to 2040 under each of its scenarios. Asia already accounts for the majority of the beneficial owners of BVI Business Companies, providing an established foundation for engagement with Indian businesses and investors.
For participating BVI firms, the mission provided an opportunity to build on these existing connections and explore how the Territory's expertise in cross-border structuring, investment funds, private wealth and fintech could support Indian businesses expanding internationally.
Engaging India’s Financial Ecosystem
The four-city programme brought the delegation into contact with different parts of India's financial services community, combining regulatory engagement with discussions involving businesses, advisers and investment professionals.
After opening in New Delhi, the delegation travelled to GIFT City, India’s International Financial Services Center, to meet its regulator, the International Financial Services Centres Authority. In Mumbai, engagements included the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the Bombay Chamber of Commerce, and the India Chamber of Commerce and Equality. The mission concluded in Bengaluru, India’s technology hub, where discussions focused on digital services, fintech and innovation.
These meetings gave BVI firms the opportunity to hear directly from Indian professionals about their needs and explore how international financial structures could support India-connected business and investment.
Discussions at the government level also included a prospective Memorandum of Understanding between the BVI and India, while the commitment to international tax information exchange was reaffirmed. These discussions compliment the mission's commercial objectives by strengthening the institutional relationships that support greater cooperation and business engagement between the two jurisdictions.
“What I found most valuable about the BVI–India Trade Mission was the quality of the conversations we were able to have on the ground.”
For Jerome Rubin-Delanchy, CEO of ATU Advisory Services AG, representing ATU (BVI), that was the standout benefit of the British Virgin Islands’ inaugural Financial Services Trade Mission to India.
The visit, which was held from August 24 to 31, has already led to promising follow-up discussions and new relationships for ATU, reflecting the opportunities emerging for BVI businesses following the four-city program.
“Across Delhi, Mumbai, GIFT City and Bangalore, we met lawyers, advisers, fund managers and other professionals who were genuinely interested in understanding how the BVI can be used in a practical way for India-connected business and investment. For ATU, the trip has already led to a number of very promising follow-up discussions and new relationships that we are continuing to develop.”
Kapil Dhar, Managing Director of Griffin Trustees Limited, who has lived and worked in the BVI for 26 years, emphasized the significance of Indian professionals being able to engage directly with a high-level BVI delegation.
For Dhar, the visit demonstrated the BVI's commitment to strengthening its relationship with India, while reinforcing the importance of continued engagement between regulators and financial services professionals in both markets.
Building on the Mission
While participating businesses have welcomed the relationships and opportunities emerging from the visit, sustaining that engagement will be central to developing longer-term commercial ties.
“The next step is to continue the dialogue between our regulators and Indian professionals and work out how the BVI can meet the requirements of India’s financial markets,” Dhar said. “The seeds have been planted; we now need to nurture this initiative so future generations can reap its benefits.”
For BVI Finance, the focus is now on working alongside participating firms and government and regulatory partners to build on the connections established during the mission.
As Rhodni Skelton, Director of Marketing & Business Development at BVI Finance, said the level of interest demonstrated across the four cities provided a foundation for further engagement.
“Our goal was to build relationships and give our industry the opportunity to hear directly from the Indian market about opportunities for closer collaboration. The feedback and follow-up conversations we have seen since returning show there is a strong foundation to build on.”
The direct business leads reported by all participating firms provide an encouraging basis for continued follow-up and longer-term commercial relationships.
Looking ahead, BVI Finance will continue to support dialogue between the two markets, helping participating firms develop the relationships established during the visit and explore opportunities for closer commercial collaboration.
As Skelton concluded, “Our focus now is on maintaining that momentum, supporting participating firms as they pursue the business leads generated, and building lasting commercial relationships in the Indian market.”
BVI Finance thanks the Indian organisations that hosted the delegation and the participating firms: Aegis International Limited, ATU General Trust (BVI) Limited, ER Law, Griffin Trustees Limited, Harneys, ICS Corporate Services Group, Liquidity Tech, Ogier, Overseas Management Company, Patton, Moreno & Asvat, Spencer West BVI and Vistra