Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 15th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) Convention in Varanasi. He called upon the NRI community to join hands for building a new India. Prime Minister lauded the role of Indian diaspora in keeping alive the tradition of VasudhaivaKutumbakam. Prime Minister also highlighted the steps taken by his government to increase engagement with the diaspora.

Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth, the Chief Guest of the 15th PBD greeted the gathering in Hindi. He announced that his country will organize a Bhojpuri Mahotsav and hailed Prime Minister Modi’s leadership.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj saluted Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee who is the father of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. She credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reviving the concept that had been neglected for decades.

Tidbits:

• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is observed to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community towards the development of India.
• The day commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai on 9 January 1915.
• The Ministry of External Affairs organizes Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (RPBD) periodically outside India to connect with the Indian Diaspora in specific regions.
• The 10th Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (RPBD) Convention was organized in Singapore at Marina Bay Sands, on 6 & 7 January 2018.
• The theme of the 2018 PBD Convention is “Ancient Route, New Journey: Diaspora in the Dynamic India-ASEAN Partnership“.
• Established in 2000, it is sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the Confederation of Indian Industries and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.