H.E. Mr Bath presents his credentials to President of India Smt Droupadi Murmu, at Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 29, 2025, formally assuming his responsibilities as the first resident High Commissioner of Saint Kitts and Nevis to India

Your own name, Gurdip Dev Bath, immediately reflects a heritage that resonates with many Indians. Could you share something about your family background and the journey that connects your story to the wider Caribbean experience?

If you travel the Caribbean, you will find thousands of people who share an Indo-Caribbean history which dates back centuries. Although my own journey is only decades old, I believe that my future is bound with the future of India and the Caribbean.

Many countries today are redefining diplomacy through economic partnerships, technology and innovation. How do you envision the role of the Saint Kitts and Nevis High Commission in helping build these modern bridges with India?

The world is changing fast, I agree, but diplomacy has always been defined by economic partnerships or the desire to develop them. Diplomacy remains one of the most important lubricants for the machinery of economic development. Technology and innovations are tools that determine the pace and make it happen. We cannot separate one from the other. I am confident that because we have already been working together to optimise these elements, India and Saint Kitts and Nevis have begun to build those important bridges that will eventually improve opportunities for all.

On a personal note, what has been your experience of India so far, and what aspects of the country, its people or its culture have left the strongest impression on you?

India is not new to me, although I now look at it through new lenses. However, what strikes me most, if I could just refer again to the immediate past question, is the speed at which technology has been transforming the socio-economic landscape of India; and how through its robust South-South partnership, India is reshaping its diplomacy, fast-tracking its commitment to sustainable development and helping to ensure climate resilience.