Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: Anurag Thakur urges young diaspora to invest in India

Union Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday urged the young Indian diaspora to innovate, invest, and initiate their ideas in India.

Thakur was addressing the audience at the inaugural function of the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) as part of the commencement of the three-day PBD convention in Indore. Australian MP Zaneta Mascarenhas was the guest of honour at the event. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar were also present.

Thakur said, “In the year gone by, India became the third largest nation with start-ups. When the world was fighting the pandemic, Indian youth saw an opportunity for launching start-ups.”

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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.

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 at the event.

On Tuesday, President Droupadi Murmu will confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2023 and preside over the valedictory session.

(With inputs from agencies)