The government launched the website of the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention which will be held in Indore from January 8-10 next year.

Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar said that there are over 32 million overseas Indians, of which nearly 18 million have accepted the nationality of their host countries and 14 million have retained Indian passports.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD)

• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on January 9 to recognise the contribution of the overseas Indian community towards the growth and development of India. 

• January 9 was chosen for PBD as it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa and led its freedom struggle.

• Theme-based PBD Conventions are held once every two years with participation from overseas diaspora experts, policy makers and stakeholders. 

• During the convention, selected overseas Indians are honoured with prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards, to recognise their contribution in various fields both in India and abroad.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention

• The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention is a flagship event of the government of India and provides an important platform to engage and connect with the overseas Indian diaspora. 

• The first PBD Convention was organised on January 2, 2003 to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of India.

• 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.

• Since 2015, under a revised format, PBD Convention has been organised once every 2 years.

• The 17th PBD Convention will be held from January 8-10, 2023 in Indore in collaboration with the government of Madhya Pradesh. 

• The 17th PBD Convention will be held in a physical format after a gap of four years. The last PBD Convention in 2021 was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The theme of PBD Convention 2023 is “Diaspora: Reliable partners for India’s progress in Amrit Kaal”. 

• The Youth PBD will be held on January 8 2023, in partnership with ministry of youth affairs and sports. 

• On January 10, 2023, President Droupadi Murmu will confer Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards.

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