Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention 2023

January 6, 2023January 6, 2023 MTIMES

New Delhi: The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is a flagship event of the Government of India. It provides an important platform to engage and connect with overseas Indians and to enable the diaspora to interact with each other. The 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is being held in collaboration with the Government of Madhya Pradesh from 8 to 10 January 2023 at Indore.

The theme of this Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is “Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India’s Progress in Amrit Kaal.” More than 3500 diaspora members from nearly 70 different countries have registered for the PBD Convention.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention will have three segments. Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be inaugurated on 8 January 2023 in collaboration with Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. HE. Ms. Zaneta Mascarenhas, Member of Parliament of Australia, will be the guest of honor at the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.

On January 9, 2023, the PBD Convention will be inaugurated by Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India and addressed by the Chief Guest, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and Special Guest of Honour, H.E. Mr. Chandrikapersad Santokhi, Honorable President of the Republic of Suriname.

A commemorative postage stamp “Surakshit Jaayen, Prashikshit Jaayen” will be issued to highlight the importance of safe, legal, managed and skilled migration. Hon’ble Prime Minister will also launch PBD’s first ever digital exhibition on ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav – Contribution of Diaspora in India’s Freedom Struggle’ to highlight the contribution of our diaspora freedom fighters in India’s independence. A special town hall will also be organized on January 9 in view of India’s ongoing G20 presidency.

On 10th January 2023 Hon’ble Rashtrapati ji, Smt. Droupadi Murmu will present the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2023 and chair the Valedictory Session. The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards are given to selected members of the Indian diaspora to recognize their achievements and to recognize their contributions in various fields, both in India and abroad.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas Convention will have five themed plenary sessions,

Plenary Session on “Role of Diaspora Youth in Innovation and New Technologies” chaired by Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Singh Thakur.

Plenary Session on “Role of Indian Diaspora in Supporting Indian Healthcare Ecosystem at Amrit Kaal: Vision @ 2047” chaired by Minister of Health & Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and Co-Chairman Minister of State for External Affairs Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh.

Plenary Session on “Harnessing India’s Soft Power – Goodwill through Craft, Cuisine and Creativity” chaired by External Affairs Minister Smt. Meenakashi Lekhi.

Session on “Enabling Global Mobility of Indian Workforce – Role of Indian Diaspora” chaired by Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.

Session on “Harnessing the Potential of Diaspora Entrepreneurs for an Inclusive Approach to Nation Building” chaired by Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman.

All plenary sessions will include panel discussions inviting leading experts from the diaspora.

The upcoming 17th PBD Convention is significant as it is being organized as a physical event after four years and for the first time since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The last PBD convention in 2021 took place practically during the pandemic.