Mr Cook is visiting India to raise awareness of the Island’s financial services capabilities and, accompanied by Martin De Forest-Brown, the International Finance Director with the States of Jersey, is meeting with lawyers, accountants and representatives from investment banks, private equity firms and government officials.

They form part of the official fact-finding Jersey delegation led by the Minister for Economic Development, Senator Philip Ozouf.

The Jersey delegation is in India from the 11th to the 16th of February at the invitation of the President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Sunil Bharti Mittal, who is also Chairman of Bharti Telecommunications.

The delegation is attending a series of official receptions and meetings with Government officials, business leaders and financiers in Mumbai.

Geoff Cook commented:

“The focus of many of my meetings this week is with intermediaries involved in fund structuring, private equity and those advising private clients, areas where Jersey has significant capabilities."

He continued: “It is our belief that Jersey is an attractive location for Indian holding companies looking to diversify business interests into the UK and Europe, and since Indian nationals are able now to invest up to $US 200,000 per annum outside of India, this opens up the opportunity for private wealth management work in which Jersey has traditionally excelled. When you also consider the interest shown by the West in investing in India, I believe there is a compelling case for building business in the region."

And concluded: “With over 1.1 billion people, financial services are seeing explosive growth with a fourfold increase predicted in wealth management by 2012. Jersey has the expertise and services which the market is demanding and this first visit will seek to build a bridgehead on which we can deliver future promotional activity.”