Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: All you need to know

The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention is all set to take place in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar from January 8 to 10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the event on January 9. It will also feature a viral address by the chief guest, Christine Carla Kangaroo, President of Trinidad & Tobago.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: What is it?

This flagship event of the Indian government provides a platform to strengthen the engagement with the overseas Indian community, besides reconnecting them with their cultural roots.

On January 9, 1915, Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa. Since 2003, the day has been marked as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD). The first Convention was organised on January 9, 2003.

Since 2015, under the newly revised format, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention has been organised once every two years.

The 17th PBD Convention was held from January 8 to 10, 2023 in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, and focused on the theme — “Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India’s Progress in Amrit Kaal”.

18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention

The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is now being organised from January 8 to 10 in Bhubaneswar in partnership with the Odisha government. The theme this time is “Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat”.

A large number of Indian diaspora members from more than 50 countries have registered to take part in the Convention.

This time, the event is expected to highlight India’s economic growth, policy reforms as well as progress in key sectors to attract overseas Indian investors.

As part of the event, PM Modi will remotely flag off the inaugural journey of the Pravasi Bharatiya Express, which is a special tourist train for the Indian diaspora.

Departing from the Nizamuddin Railway Station in the national capital, the special train will travel across multiple destinations of touristic and religious importance in the country for three weeks. It will be conducted under the Pravasi Teertha Darshan Yojana of the Ministry of External Affairs, read a statement.

Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to inaugurate four exhibitions at the event.

1. Vishwaroop Ram – The Universal Legacy of Ramayana: This will present Ramayana through a curated juxtaposition of traditional and contemporary art forms.
2. Diaspora’s Contribution to Technology and Viksit Bharat: Celebrating the contributions of the Indian diaspora to the development of technology worldwide.
3. Spread and Evolution of Indian diaspora in the world having a key focus on Mandvi to Muscat. This features rare documents of people who earlier migrated from Mandvi in Gujarat to Oman’s Muscat.
4. Heritage and Culture of Odisha: This will showcase the rich heritage and cultural traditions of the state via its different art and craft forms.

On January 10, President Droupadi Murmu will preside over the valedictory session of the convention. She will present the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2025 upon select members of the Indian diaspora, recognising their achievements and honouring their contributions across different fields in India and abroad.

In addition to this, the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held on January 8, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Dr Dev Pragad, CEO of Newsweek, will be the Guest of Honour at the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.