PM hails Indian diaspora’s contribution in strengthening bonds with world

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended warm greetings to the global Indian community on the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) and said the Indian diaspora continues to serve as a powerful bridge between India and the world.

He further underlined that the government has taken numerous steps to bring the diaspora even closer to India.

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In a post on X, PM Modi wrote: “Warm greetings on Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. The Indian diaspora remains a powerful bridge between India and the world. They have enriched societies wherever they went and, at the same time, stayed connected to their roots. I often say that our diaspora is our Rashtradoots, who have popularised the culture of India globally. Our Government has taken numerous steps to bring our diaspora even closer to India.”

PBD has been celebrated on 9 January every year since 2003 to mark the contribution of the Overseas Indian community in the development of India. January 9 was chosen as the day to celebrate this occasion since it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest Pravasi, returned to India from South Africa, led India’s freedom struggle and changed the lives of Indians forever.

Since 2015, its format has been revised to celebrate the PBD once every two years and to hold theme-based PBD Conferences during the intervening period with participation from overseas diaspora experts, policy makers and stakeholders.

These conventions provide a platform to the overseas Indian community to engage with the government and people of the land of their ancestors for mutually beneficial activities. These conventions are also very useful in networking among the overseas Indian community residing in various parts of the world and enable them to share their experiences in various fields.