Policy Update
Soorya Subbu
About
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on January 9th once in every two years to acknowledge the contributions made by the Overseas Indian community to the welfare and development of India. It is celebrated with different themes in different states of India each time. It commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai, India on January 9, 1915. The PBD was first established in 2003, by the late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to engage with the overseas Indian community.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) takes charge in celebrating this day and considers this to be a flagship event. This year, the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention was celebrated between January 8-10, 2025 at Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. It was the first time PBD was celebrated in eastern India. The theme for this year was “Diaspora’s contribution to a Vikshit Bharat (Developed India)”.
Significance
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated to remember the favors and contribution made by NRIs to the nation’s development. Through trade, investment and diaspora welfare, the pravasis are continuously engaging with India. However, today the topic is more broader in terms of climate change, environment sustainability, women empowerment, education and community connect. One of the most successful ways of enhancing this is through cultural exchange by promoting Indian culture worldwide. Hosting Indian festivals, and showcasing talents like classical music and dance not only provides exposure, but also a good remuneration for them back home.
Since, Indian population is growing abroad, the rise of Global schools are increasing with international curriculum that instill Indian educational values. Foreign universities have tie ups with Indian colleges and this allows more exchange programmes for the students. It creates global opportunities for Indian students to experience foreign culture and foreign students to know more about Indian history and culture.
Mahatma Gandhi returned to Mumbai from South Africa on January 9, 1915. He has been regarded as the first Non-Resident Indian (NRI) over the years- the great Pravasi to lead the country’s freedom struggle. It is celebrated in different cities to showcase the diversity and development made across India in various regions. Every year, an Indian origin foreign delegate is invited as a chief guest This ensures the focus towards that particular region and how it has or it can be developed further. Since 2015, PBD has been celebrated with themes to encourage focused discussions on certain particular issues and allows for more networking opportunities among the global Indian diaspora.
| YEAR | PLACE |
| 2003 | New Delhi |
| 2004 | New Delhi |
| 2005 | Mumbai |
| 2006 | Hyderabad |
| 2007 | New Delhi |
| 2008 | New Delhi |
| 2009 | Chennai |
| 2010 | New Delhi |
| 2011 | New Delhi |
| 2012 | Jaipur |
| 2013 | Kochi |
| 2014 | New Delhi |
| 2015 | Gandhinagar |
| 2017 | Bengaluru |
| 2019 | Varanasi |
| 2021 | Virtual |
| 2023 | Indore |
| 2025 | Bhubaneshwar |
A logo was created at the 2016 convention, when the Ministry of External Affairs announced that this day will be celebrated biannually. The logo was designed through an open competition held by the government of India and the winner was awarded. According to the creator, the meaning behind the logo is
“the human chain depicts our brotherhood and strength across the world, ‘Ashoka Chakra’ along with the tricolour canopy showing the Worldwide contribution towards development on mankind and peaceful presence of ‘Bharatiya’ and ‘Pravasi Bharatiya’ all around the world”
Source: Ministry of External Affairs
It also presents the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) to Non-Resident Indians, Persons of Indian Origin, or organizations established by them to celebrate the achievements and commitments made by them in sectors like education, science and innovation, trade and industry, arts and culture, social work, public service and philanthropy. These awards are presented by the President of India on the last day of celebrations.
Objectives and Functions
The primary goals of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas are to establish a strong bond between Indians living abroad and their homeland, to keep them updated about what’s happening in India and how they can help India to grow better for the future. It helps to strengthen deeper communications between India and its vast overseas community. Here are a few key objectives of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas:
- To commemorate the contributions of the Indian diaspora to India’s development in terms of finance and non-finance matters.
- To work for the welfare of local Indian communities across the world that help and support India’s causes.
- To spread a better understanding of India around the world.
- It encourages Indians who live abroad to engage with the government of India and with the people of their ancestral land.
A Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra was set up by the Government of India in 2004 in New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is located at the heart of Delhi City and it pays tribute to those who moved from India to different countries of the world and battled through tough situations and their achievements. In the future, this Kendra is expected to host more activities, seminars, events and workshops along with economic, social and cultural engagement pertaining to the Indian Diaspora. It is now renamed as “Sushma Swaraj Bhavan”.
Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (RPBD)
Apart from celebrating it in India, the Ministry of External Affairs also organizes Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (RPBD) periodically in different countries, to connect and establish strong relations with Indian Diaspora in specific regions outside India. It spreads knowledge about the policies, initiatives and programmes of the government and also gives them the chance to address their concerns and issues.
Till date, there have been 10 RPBDs held in various countries from 2007 to 2018. The 10th and most recent Convention in 2018 was organized in Singapore, marking 25 years of strategic partnership between India and ASEAN, with the theme “Ancient Route, New Journey: Diaspora in the Dynamic India-ASEAN Partnership”. Northeast India acts as a connecting bridge between India and Southeast Asia. Many prominent Indian and International delegates attended this convention.
Conclusion
The 18th PBD was held in Bhubaneshwar from January 8-10, 2025 with main focus on ‘Purvodaya’. This enables the government to connect with the diaspora and strengthen its ‘Act East Asia Policy’. Delegates from over 75 countries participated in the convention this year. Three plenary sessions were held over three days of the convention emphasizing on Beyond Barriers: Diaspora Youth Leadership in a Globalized World on Day 1, Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers: Stories of Migrant Skills, Diaspora Dialogues: Stories of Culture Connection and Belonging and Green Connections: Diaspora’s Contributions to Sustainable Development on Day 2 and Diaspora Divas: Celebrating Women’s Leadership and Influence – Nari Shakti on Day 3.
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas play a crucial role in building stronger ties with its global community and utilising their expertise towards national development. It has deeper connections with the global diaspora and acts as a strategic platform for potential from overseas Indians towards transforming India into a developed nation. It is undoubtedly a great and valuable asset to the country. The future of PBD remains robust, with ‘soft power’ that will serve as a crucial space for the future generations.
References
- Santosh Kumar, Sarla Meena and Vatsla Srivastava, January 8, 2025, “Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: Celebrating India’s Global Diaspora”, Research Unit, Press Information Bureau Government of India. https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2025/jan/doc202518483101.pdf
- Press Release, January 10, 2025, “18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention 2025 (January 8-10, 2025)”, Ministry of External Affairs. https://www.mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/38904/18th+Pravasi+Bharatiya+Divas+Convention+2025+January+810+2025#:~:text=The%2018th%20Pravasi%20Bharatiya%20Divas,be%20held%20in%20Eastern%20India.
- Consular Services, “Pravasi Bharatiya Divas”, Ministry of External Affairs. https://www.mea.gov.in/pravasi-bharatiya-divas.htm#:~:text=Pravasi%20Bharatiya%20Divas%20(PBD)%20is,in%20the%20development%20of%20India.
- Amit Lath, January 9, 2025, “Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is a celebration of resilience of Indian diaspora, especially in situations like Ukraine”, The Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/pravasi-bharatiya-divas-celebration-of-resilience-indian-diaspora-9769282/
- Megha Chaturvedi, 14th January, 2025, “How pravasis enhance cultural exchange and understanding”, India Today. https://www.indiatoday.in/information/story/how-pravasis-enhance-cultural-exchange-and-understanding-2664491-2025-01-14
About the author: Soorya Subbu is a research intern at the Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI), with a master’s degree in international Studies and a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. Her areas of interest include international relations, public policy, analysis and global affairs.
Acknowledgement: The author would like to express sincere gratitude to Ms. Aasthaba Jadeja and the IMPRI team for their guidance throughout the writing of this article.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
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