Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention is the flagship event of the Government of India. It provides an important platform to engage and connect with the overseas Indians and to enable the diaspora to interact with each other. The 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is being organized in partnership with the Madhya Pradesh Government from 08-10 January 2023 in Indore. The theme of this PBD Convention is "Diaspora: Reliable partners for India’s progress in Amrit Kaal”. Over 3,500 diaspora members from nearly 70 different countries have registered for the PBD Convention.

PBD Convention will have three segments. On 08 January 2023, the inauguration of the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held in partnership with Ministry of Youth affairs and Sports. H.E. Ms. Zaneta Mascarenhas, Member of Parliament of Australia, will be the Guest of Honour at the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.

On 09 January 2023, the PBD Convention will be inaugurated by Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India and will feature addresses by the Chief Guest, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the President of Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and the Special Guest of Honour, H.E. Mr. Chandrikapersad Santokhi, Hon’ble President of the Republic of Suriname.

A Commemorative Postal Stamp ‘Surakshit Jaayen, Prashikshit Jaayen’ will be released to underline the importance of safe, legal, orderly and skilled migration. Hon’ble Prime Minister will also inaugurate the first-ever digital PBD Exhibition on theme "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav - Contribution of Diaspora in Indian Freedom Struggle” to highlight the contribution of our diaspora freedom fighters in India’s Independence. In view of India’s ongoing Presidency of the G20, a special Town Hall will also be organized on January 09.

On 10 January 2023, Hon’ble Rashtrapati ji, Smt. Droupadi Murmu will confer Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2023 and preside over the Valedictory Session. Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards are conferred to select Indian diaspora members to recognize their achievements and honour their contributions to various fields, both in India and abroad.

The PBD Convention will have five thematic Plenary sessions-

· First Plenary on ‘Role of Diaspora Youth in Innovations and new Technologies’, chaired by Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur.

Second Plenary on ‘Role of Indian Diaspora in promoting Indian Healthcare Eco-system in Amrit Kaal: Vision @2047’, chaired by Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and co-chaired by Minister of State for External Affairs, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh.

Third Plenary on ‘Leveraging the soft power of India - Goodwill through craft, cuisine & creativity’, chaired by Minister of State for External Affairs, Smt. Meenakashi Lekhi.

Fourth Plenary on ‘Enabling global mobility of Indian workforce – Role of Indian Diaspora’, chaired by Minister of Education, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.

Fifth Plenary on ‘Harnessing the potential of diaspora entrepreneurs towards an inclusive approach to nation building’, chaired by Minister of Finance, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman.

All the Plenary Sessions will feature panel discussions inviting eminent diaspora experts.

he forthcoming 17th PBD Convention holds significance as it is being organized as a physical event after a gap of four years and first after the onset of Covid-19 pandemic. The last PBD Convention in 2021 was held virtually during the Pandemic.

The event would be webcast live on PBD website http://www.pbdindia.gov.in and https://www.youtube.com/user/MEAIndia.

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DS/LP/AK