Highlights:

• The theme of the 17th edition of the convention is 'Diaspora: Reliable partners for India's progress in Amrit Kaal'.
• You can take an INDIAN out of INDIA, but you cannot take the INDIAN out of them: Shri Anurag Singh Thakur

The Union Minister for  Youth Affairs & Sports,  Shri Anurag Thakur addressed the plenary session of 3 day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD)  convention in Indore today. The first day today of the convention was celebrated as Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas with the theme : Role of Diaspora Youth in Innovation and Technology.

Addressing on the occasion, Shri Anurag Thakur  said, “Youth Pravasi Bhartiya Divas is not only about finding one's roots, but also about rooting for everything that makes us Indian. It is as much about your story and the story of rising India. It is a moment to reconnect and re-imagine new possibilities. And it is a network to drive change, discover new ties and develop new ideas.”

The Minister elaborated further, “ Today, I say this with a sense of pragmatism and confidence, that the youth, both from India as well as the diaspora community have made remarkable strides in the realms of technology, business, politics, creativity and innovation across the world.”

 Shri Anurag Thakur added, “Indians be it in India or abroad have always held their heads high and hearts open to lead the world into the bold and bright future that awaits us. So,  I INVITE YOU to INNOVATE ,INVEST,and INITIATE your IDEAS in INDIA”

Shri Anurag Thakur also added “The Indian Diaspora brings a multi-layered gain to the IT industry in terms of enhanced skills and capital formation - human, social & financial.On the other hand, the Indian IT industry has created a strong motivation for the mobility of highly skilled professionals and provided the Diaspora with the much needed opportunity to engage with their motherland.”

“The 17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) Convention is an opportunity to build bonds of friendship, mentorship and camaraderie that are forged when we directly interact with and learn from our diaspora.Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi ji, we have transformed the approach and attitude towards Indian diaspora. The honour and respect that our diaspora deserve, is reflected through the importance we give towards ensuring engagements involving them during our official visits and beyond. You can even see the rousing response from the diaspora everytime PM meets them in every part of the world”, Sh Thakur said.

Spelling  out Government's vision for Diaspora Youth, he  said, “Modi Government's vision for the Indian diaspora is to see a seamless two-way flow of ideas and capital between our diaspora counterparts from around the world. Our efforts to link up and facilitate ties between Indian start-ups and young diaspora innovators and investors based in their countries of domicile are also generating a cross-pollination of ideas. You can take an INDIAN out of INDIA, but you cannot take the INDIAN out of them. The flavours of India, the rhythm of music and their hearts always beat for India, the diaspora want to contribute back to the land of their parents.”

Shri Anurag Thakur  also added, “Indian origin people have displayed determination to prove their worth and found solutions to some of the most pressing problems on the planet. Some of the brightest minds of Indian origin have played strategic focal roles in the success of the tech power-houses across the globe. The list of Indian origin CEO’s is endless, similar is the list of Indian origin political leaders across the world.”

Giving details of some important initiatives for diaspora youth, the Minister explained that in recent years, a range of policies have been launched by the Government of India to harness the energy and ideas of our diaspora Indians and connect them to India’s own youthful demographic success story.These initiatives include the Know India Programme KIP - to expose diaspora Indian youth to various aspects of contemporary India and its vibrant art,heritage and culture,the scholarship programme GIAN (Global Initiative for Academic Network),the VAJRA Faculty Scheme which aims to bring a strong international connect to the R&D ecosystem of India,the Mission Shodh GANGA (Global Alliance for New Generation Acceleration), Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC) and Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC).”

The theme of the 17th edition of the convention is 'Diaspora: Reliable partners for India's progress in Amrit Kaal'.

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