19th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas website launched in Delhi by Jaishankar
Synopsis
The 19th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas just moved from planning to public — EAM Jaishankar and West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari jointly launched the official portal on 11 November, opening registrations for the January 2026 Kolkata convention. With President Murmu set to preside over the awards and a theme centred on 'reigniting diaspora connect', this edition signals a deliberate push to convert diaspora goodwill into tangible engagement with India.
Key Takeaways
The official website of the 19th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD) was launched on 11 November in New Delhi by EAM S.
Jaishankar and West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari .
The 19th PBD convention will be held from 7 to 9 January in Kolkata, West Bengal .
The theme is 'From Roots to Return: Reigniting Diaspora Connect with Bharat' .
The portal enables online registration and provides programme, schedule, and event details.
President Droupadi Murmu will preside over the Valedictory Session and confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards .
The convention has been held in a biennial format since 2015 , organised by the Ministry of External Affairs .
The official website of the 19th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD) was launched on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, in New Delhi, marking a formal opening of registrations for the flagship annual diaspora convention. The portal was jointly inaugurated by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at Chanakya Hall in Sushma Swaraj Bhawan.
What the website offers
The portal, developed jointly by the Government of India and the Government of West Bengal, enables prospective participants to complete their registration and access programme details for the three-day convention. Beyond registration, the platform will carry official announcements, schedule updates, and information on the range of activities planned alongside the main convention. Officials described it as a key gateway for the global Indian diaspora ahead of the event.
19th PBD: Dates, venue, and theme
The 19th edition of Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas is scheduled from 7 to 9 January next year in Kolkata, West Bengal. The convention will be organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in collaboration with the West Bengal government. This year's theme — 'From Roots to Return: Reigniting Diaspora Connect with Bharat' — underscores the emphasis on deepening the Indian diaspora's cultural and economic ties with the country.
Presidential honour and the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to preside over the Valedictory Session and confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards — the highest honour bestowed on a Non-Resident Indian, a Person of Indian Origin, or an organisation run by them. The award recognises contributions to enhancing India's image abroad, supporting India's causes, and working for the welfare of local Indian communities.
Background: History of the convention
The Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas Convention was first instituted in 2003 during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a formal mechanism to engage with and recognise the overseas Indian community. Since 2015, the MEA shifted to a biennial format, with theme-based conferences held in intervening years to allow more focused sectoral discussions and foster meaningful networking among diaspora members. Over the decades, the convention has served as an exchange platform for knowledge, skills, and experiences across sectors, reinforcing India's ties with its global community. This edition's Kolkata venue is notably the first time the convention returns to West Bengal, adding a regional dimension to the Centre-state collaboration driving the event.
Point of View
The convention's shift to Kolkata is strategically notable; West Bengal's large overseas Bengali community and its trade links with Bangladesh and Southeast Asia give this edition a distinct regional sub-text that the 'roots to return' theme can exploit. The real measure of success, however, will not be footfall or website registrations — it will be whether the convention translates diaspora networks into investment commitments, skilled-return programmes, or policy input, something past editions have promised more than delivered.
NationPress
11 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 19th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas convention?
The 19th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD) is the annual diaspora convention organised by India's Ministry of External Affairs to engage the global Indian community. It is scheduled to be held from 7 to 9 January in Kolkata, West Bengal, under the theme 'From Roots to Return: Reigniting Diaspora Connect with Bharat'.
Who launched the 19th PBD website and where?
The official website was jointly inaugurated by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at Chanakya Hall in Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi, on 11 November.
How can someone register for the 19th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas?
Prospective participants can register through the newly launched official portal, which also provides programme schedules, event details, and updates related to the convention. The website was developed jointly by the Government of India and the Government of West Bengal.
What is the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award?
The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award is the highest honour conferred on a Non-Resident Indian, a Person of Indian Origin, or an organisation run by them. It recognises contributions to enhancing India's image abroad, supporting India's causes, and serving local Indian communities. President Droupadi Murmu will confer the awards at the Valedictory Session.
When did the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas convention start and how often is it held?
The convention was first instituted in 2003 during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Since 2015, it has been held biennially, with theme-based conferences in intervening years to enable focused sectoral discussions among the global Indian diaspora.
