The Virgin Islands' mission to India is scheduled for August 24 to 31, 2026, will see the VI delegation visit four Indian cities- New Delhi, GIFT City, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Photo: BVI Finance

Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) will lead the Virgin Islands' delegation to India in August 2026. Photo: GIS/File

Minister for Financial Services, Economic Development and Digital Transformation, Hon Lorna G. Smith, OBE (AL) will form part of the Virgin Islands' delegation to India in August 2026. Photo: BVI Finance

India Trade Mission Lead/Associate Director of the BVI Government Representative Office in Hong Kong and Asia-Pacific Representative, Ms Siobhan Flax, said the Virgin Islands' upcoming mission to India comes after years of groundwork. Photo: Government of the Virgin Islands

According to BVI Finance, the mission will connect VI leaders with hundreds of C-suite executives and deepen diplomatic, regulatory and commercial ties

“The Government of the Virgin Islands is entering the final stages of preparation for the jurisdiction’s inaugural Financial Services Trade Mission to India, a landmark initiative designed to position the British Virgin Islands (BVI) as a strategic partner in India’s accelerating global expansion,” a July 31, 2026, press release said. 

Hundreds expected to be engaged

The mission, scheduled for August 24 to 31, 2026, will see the VI delegation visit four Indian cities- New Delhi, GIFT City, Mumbai and Bengaluru- and engage with hundreds of C-suite executives, investors, financial institutions, fund managers, family offices, fintech companies, legal advisers and other senior decision-makers from across India’s financial services community.

The cities and projected attendees are as follows: New Delhi (over 150), Mumbai (over 200), Bengaluru (over 150), and 15, 000 attendees at Money Expo India. 

Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) will lead the delegation consisting of Minister for Financial Services, Economic Development and Digital Transformation, Hon Lorna G. Smith, OBE (AL); senior Government officials; the BVI Financial Services Commission; BVI Finance, and representatives of the VI’s financial services industry.

The mission is being conducted under the theme, ‘BVI-India: A Strategic Partnership for India’s Global Expansion’ and will feature major conferences, executive roundtables, business-to-business meetings, media engagements, and industry dinners. 

Discussions will focus on VI investment funds, cross-border corporate structures, access to international capital, trusts, family offices, succession planning, fintech, digital assets, and the VI’s internationally recognised regulatory framework.

Alongside the commercial programme, the delegation is scheduled to undertake a series of diplomatic, government-to-government and regulatory engagements with senior Indian officials and institutions.

Years of groundwork- Siobhan Flax

The mission to India comes after years of groundwork and preparation. India Trade Mission Lead/Associate Director of the BVI Government Representative Office in Hong Kong and Asia-Pacific Representative, Ms Siobhan Flax, said it is not the beginning but the culmination of several years of patient, purposeful and sustained groundwork. 

“Our Office has made repeated visits to India, opened important channels with government authorities, regulators and industry leaders, and listened carefully to the needs and ambitions of the Indian market…We are now ready to convert those relationships into a deeper and more enduring partnership.”

She added that India’s businesses, fund managers, investors and families are becoming increasingly global, and they require structures that are flexible, credible, and internationally connected. 

“The BVI has the experience, professional ecosystem, and regulatory strength to support that expansion. We are going to India not simply to present the BVI, but to build a genuine bridge between India, the BVI, and the rest of the world.”