New Delhi: Large Indian diaspora delegations from dozens of countries will be attending the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention which begins with the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bhubaneswar, from Wednesday.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), people from over 50 different countries have registered to participate in the PBD Convention – the flagship event of the Indian government that provides an important platform to connect and engage with the diaspora and enable them to interact with each other.
It is for the first time that the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is being organised in Odisha with the state making elaborate plans to showcase its rich historical, cultural and spiritual heritage.
On Wednesday, the Odisha government will be hosting two plenary sessions — ‘Unravelling India’s Best Kept Secret’ and ‘Odisha, a Land of Opportunities’ — that will also be addressed by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and several other key dignitaries.
“It will showcase the enormous potential that can be harnessed by the Indian diaspora in Odisha through their engagement in developing and promoting tourism, trade, investments in various sectors such as textiles and garments, forest products, healthcare, pharma, food processing, and startups,” said MEA Secretary (CPV & OIA) Arun Kumar Chatterjee on Tuesday.
The PBD Convention, the theme of which is ‘Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat’, will be formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and also feature a virtual address by the Chief Guest, Christine Carla Kangaloo, President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
After the inauguration, PM Modi will remotely flag-off the inaugural journey of the Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special tourist train for the Indian diaspora, which will depart from the Nizamuddin Railway Station in Delhi and would travel to multiple destinations of touristic and religious importance in India for a period of three weeks.
Prime Minister Modi will also inaugurate four exhibitions at the convention, including ‘Vishwaroop Ram – The Universal Legacy of Ramayana’; ‘Diaspora’s Contribution to Technology and Viksit Bharat’; ‘Spread and Evolution of Indian diaspora in the world with special focus on Mandvi to Muscat’; and, ‘Heritage and Culture of Odisha’.
President Droupadi Murmu will preside over the valedictory session of the convention on January 10 during which will also confer the ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2025’ upon 27 distinguished members of the Indian diaspora from 24 countries, recognising their achievements and honouring their contributions in various fields in India and abroad.
As many as five thematic plenary sessions will be organised during the event, featuring panel discussions involving eminent diaspora experts. The scheduled sessions are titled, ‘Beyond Borders: Diaspora Youth Leadership in a Globalized World’; ‘Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers: Stories of Migrant Skills’; ‘Green Connections: Diaspora’s Contributions to Sustainable Development’; ‘Diaspora Divas: Celebrating Women’s Leadership and Influence – Nari Shakti’; and ‘Diaspora Dialogues: Stories of Culture, Connection and Belongingness’.
The 17th PBD Convention was held in 2023 in Indore in partnership with the state government of Madhya Pradesh.
–IANS