Start-ups and the youth will be the focus on the first day of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, which will be held at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre here, from January 7 to 9, 2017. From discussing the problems faced by Indian students abroad and NRI students studying in India to the start-up eco-system in Karnataka, “Yuva Bharatiya Divas,” will conclude with a showcase of dance and music forms in Karnataka on a day that will also see Sushma Swaraj, Minister for External Affairs, attend.
The programme schedule for the mega event, which will be hosted by the State, was revealed on Tuesday when a team of Ministers and officials from multiple departments, including R.V. Deshpande, Minister for Large-and-Medium-scale Industries, and Priyank Kharge, Minister for IT/BT and Tourism, inspected the preparations ahead of it.
President, PM to attend
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver the keynote address on the second day — when the event will be formally inaugurated. The delegates will also be able to participate in a live interaction with Mr. Modi. The second day of the three-day event will also see plenary sessions on “Accelerating tourism in India” and “Making India a preferred destination for holistic healthcare.”
The final day will see President Pranab Mukherjee give away the “Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards,” apart from plenary sessions on “Connecting with the Indian diaspora through social media” and “Managing emigration of Indian workers to ECR countries.”
Push for tourism
A push for Karnataka tourism is clearly among the priorities with close to 3,500 delegates expected to participate from 60 countries — with close to 1,500 of them being NRIs. Around 2,800 delegates are already said to have registered for the event. Delegates are expected to be offered a wide array of options to explore the State to choose from, with plans of introducing trips on the luxury train Golden Chariot too in the pipeline. Industrial visits will also be organised.
