Senior Reporter
Days after reports emerged that several state corporate entities had withdrawn their sponsorship from the 2026 Divali Nagar, the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC) yesterday announced that Blue Waters had come on board as a Diamond Sponsor for this year’s celebrations. And the company says it is proud to assist in preserving T&T’s cultural legacy.
The value of the sponsorship was not disclosed but Guardian Media understands it is worth $250,000.
The announcement was made during a media briefing at the Divali Nagar in Chaguanas, where NCIC corporate project manager George Singh said support from companies such as Blue Waters was essential to the success of large-scale cultural events.
Referencing Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service figures showing that approximately 322,000 people attended Divali Nagar over its nine-day run last year, Singh said attracting such numbers was no small achievement and thanked Blue Waters for its support.
“There has been a lot of comment about the commercialisation of Divali Nagar, but for culture to grow and develop, support from commercial entities like Blue Waters is very important,” Singh said.
“We are hoping to make a few more announcements like this over the next few days to show Trinidad and Tobago how important Divali Nagar is to the corporate sector.”
Singh posed for photographs with representatives of Blue Waters before indicating he would not be taking questions from the media.
Speaking briefly at the event, Blue Waters Head of Commercial Avinash Lalloo said the company was pleased to support the celebrations, noting that corporate responsibility was best demonstrated through meaningful community engagement.
“We believe that corporate responsibility must be demonstrated through action, and we encourage other companies to come on board and be part of the celebration. That is why we stand proud here today, not only as a sponsor, but as a partner in preserving the cultural legacy of Trinidad and Tobago,” Lalloo said.
Following the briefing, Blue Waters Chief Operations Officer Rajiv Ragoonanan confirmed that Diamond sponsorship represented the highest level of support available to a single sponsor but declined to reveal the monetary value of the company’s contribution.
“In the realm of the Nagar and the NCIC, Diamond sponsorship is the highest level. Seeing the need, we stepped in,” he said.
Ragoonanan explained that the level of sponsorship provided each year depends on the company’s annual budgeting process.
“We plan for these events every year and assess our budget to determine where we will invest in advertising, promotion and community engagement,” he said.
He added that Blue Waters’ involvement in this year’s Divali Nagar, which marks the event’s 40th anniversary, was a significant milestone for the company. However, he declined to provide further details on planned activities, saying only that patrons could expect promotions and giveaways.
NCIC first vice president Arvind Singh also said he was unable to provide details on the sponsorship amount. While welcoming the support from Blue Waters, Singh expressed hope that additional corporate sponsors would come forward.
“To have a presence here requires a significant level of sponsorship. It will not cover all our costs, because it takes a lot to run Divali Nagar, but we are grateful for every contribution and look forward to other corporate entities coming on board,” he said.
“We have been getting various people coming forward and offering help, so we’re working on it.”
Asked whether longstanding sponsors such as the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB), bmobile, First Citizens and National Flour Mills had given reasons for withdrawing support, Singh said he was unaware of any explanations.
Guardian Media contacted Minister of Culture and Community Development Michelle Benjamin for comment but received no response up to press time on yesterday.
