Union Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs Minister Anurag Thakur on January 8 appealed to the young Indian diaspora to innovate, invest and initiate their ideas in India.
Speaking at the inaugural function of the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) as part of the commencement of the three-day PBD convention, Mr. Thakur said India became the fifth-largest economy in the world in 2022 by overtaking those who ruled the country for 200 years.
Australia's Member of Parliament Zaneta Mascarenhas was the guest of honour at the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar were also present.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Thakur urged the young Indian diaspora to "innovate, invest and initiate ideas in India". In the year gone by, India became the third largest nation with start-ups, he said.
When the world was fighting the pandemic, Indian youth saw an opportunity for launching start-ups, he added.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention is being held in physical mode for the first time since 2019. The last PBD convention in 2021 was held virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The theme of the 17th edition of the convention is 'Diaspora: Reliable partners for India's progress in Amrit Kaal'. More than 3,500 diaspora members from nearly 70 countries have registered for the convention, officials said.
Identity of diaspora derived from how closely it is connected to its roots: Jaishankar
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said the identity of a diaspora is very much derived from how closely it is connected to its roots and India’s efforts have been to encourage easier exposure to its culture and traditions.
Addressing the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) programme in Indore, Mr. Jaishankar said the youth living outside India have many more opportunities than before.
“It is a matter of pride for us that centres of faith are growing abroad and serve the purpose of inculcating values, promoting culture and nurturing traditions. I think the one in Abu Dhabi has attracted particular attention of the people,” he said.
The Minister said the identity of a diaspora is very much derived from how closely it is connected to its roots.
“Our efforts have been to encourage easier exposure [for diaspora] to the Indian culture and traditions. Many of our embassies, in fact most of them, offer yoga, dance and music classes and we have asked them to support and facilitate community functions and collective activities,” he said.
Referring to Indore’s famous food items, Mr. Jaishankar, Mr. Chouhan and Mr. Thakur requested the guests to visit the city’s Sarafa Bazar and ‘56 Dukan’ market areas which offer mouth-watering dishes to the people.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally inaugurate the convention on Monday. The Cooperative Republic of Guyana President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali will be the chief guest and the Republic of Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi will be the special guest of honour.
On Tuesday, President Droupadi Murmu will confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2023 and preside over the valedictory session.
