PM Modi to Launch the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and Inaugurate Special Train Today

New Delhi, Jan 9 (NationPress) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention in Odisha on Thursday. He will also remotely commence the inaugural journey of the Pravasi Bharatiya Express.

PM Modi arrived in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, where he received a warm welcome from Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at the airport.

The Centre is hosting the PBD convention in partnership with the Odisha state government, which is taking place in Bhubaneswar from January 8 to 10.

Delegates from over 50 countries have signed up to participate in the convention, themed 'Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat'.

Following the inauguration, PM Modi will remotely flag off the inaugural journey of the Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special tourist train catering to the Indian diaspora. This train will depart from Nizamuddin Railway Station in Delhi and will tour several tourism and religious sites across India over the span of three weeks, as part of the Pravasi Teertha Darshan Yojana.

The Prime Minister will also inaugurate four exhibitions at the event venue. He will then explore the Exhibitions and Promotional Stalls from both Union and State Ministries/Departments. The four exhibitions include – Vishwaroop Ram: The Universal Legacy of Ramayana by ICCR; Diaspora's Contribution to Technology by MEA (curated by Dr Masooma Rizvi); Bharat Bharatiya: Swadesh Pardes - Abhilekhiye Virasat par adharit Pradarshani – Launch of Oman Collection by National Archives of India; and an Exhibition on Heritage and Culture of Odisha by the State Government of Odisha.

PM Modi is also expected to visit promotional stalls from various Union Ministries (including MSME, DST, MNRE, Ministry of Culture, AYUSH, MeiTy, Ministry of Tourism, National Health Mission, IRCTC, and FIPI) as well as the state governments of Odisha, Maharashtra, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Gujarat, among others.

The PBD Convention will also feature a virtual address from Chief Guest Christine Carla Kangaloo, President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

After the inaugural sessions, the convention will proceed with afternoon and evening sessions.

The afternoon session is themed 'Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers: Stories of Migrant Skills', chaired by Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and Labour & Employment, featuring several distinguished speakers from the diaspora.

The evening session, themed 'Green Connections: Diaspora's Contributions to Sustainable Development', will be chaired by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Electronics & Information Technology, Information & Broadcasting, and Railways. The valedictory session will be held on Friday, with closing remarks by President Droupadi Murmu, along with the presentation of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards.

Established in 2003 under the administration of the late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention serves as a platform to recognize and engage with the overseas Indian community.

The PBD is a flagship event of the Ministry of External Affairs, held in various cities to showcase the diversity and progress of different regions in India. Since 2015, it has transformed into a biennial event, with theme-based conferences taking place in the intervening years. This format facilitates more focused discussions on specific areas of interest and provides networking opportunities for the global Indian diaspora.