• Historical Background:
• • It is celebrated every year on 9 January to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi to India from South Africa on 9 January 1915.
• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Conference:
  • In 2002, a High-Level Committee on the Indian Diaspora was constituted under the chairmanship of L. M. Singhvi.
  • The committee recommended that the government should renew and strengthen the links of the Indian diaspora with their place of origin.
  • The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was first celebrated in 2003, during the tenure of the government led by the then Prime Minister, the late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as a platform to recognize and engage with the Indian diaspora.
  • The first Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Conference was held on 8–9 January 2003 in New Delhi.
  • The 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, in 2023.
    • Theme: “Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India’s Progress in Amrit Kaal.”
    • Chief Guest: His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.
    • Guest of Honour: His Excellency Mr. Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of the Republic of Suriname.
  • The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Conference was held as a three-day event from 8–10 January 2025 in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha.
    • Theme: “The Contribution of the Diaspora to a Viksit Bharat.”
    • Chief Guest: Christine Carla Kangaloo, President of Trinidad and Tobago.
  • The 19th edition is expected to be held in 2027.
  • Since 2015, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Conference has been organized biennially (once every two years).
  • Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is a flagship programme of the Ministry of External Affairs.
• Objectives:
  • To promote stronger ties between India and its global diaspora.
  • It provides an important platform to connect and engage with Indians living abroad and enables members of the diaspora to interact with one another.
  • It is organized in different cities to showcase the diversity and progress of various regions of India.
• Indian Diaspora:
  • The Indian diaspora refers to people of Indian origin who have migrated to other countries, either many generations ago or recently, on long-term visas issued by those countries and have been residing there ever since.
  • The Indian diaspora includes:
    • Persons of Indian Origin (PIO): A person who, or any of whose ancestors, was an Indian citizen and who currently holds the citizenship/nationality of another country, i.e., possesses a foreign passport.
    • Overseas Citizens of India (OCI): A person registered as an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholder under Section 7A of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
    • Note: In 2015, PIO and OCI cardholders were merged into a single category under OCI.
    • Non-Resident Indians (NRIs): An Indian citizen who ordinarily resides outside India and holds an Indian passport.
  • According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), as of November 2024, the total population of the Indian diaspora was 35,421,987 (35.42 million), making it the largest diaspora community in the world. It comprises approximately 15.85 million Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and 19.57 million Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs).
  • The top three countries with the largest Indian diaspora populations are the United States (5.4 million), the United Arab Emirates (3.6 million), and Malaysia (2.9 million).
  • Contribution of the Indian Diaspora:
    • Cultural Diplomacy
    • Economic Empowerment and Inclusive Development
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Political Influence
    • Strengthening Global Trade Relations
    • Supporting Innovative Ecosystems
    • Technology, Knowledge and Skill Transfer: Highly skilled Indian professionals in fields such as IT, medicine, finance and education.
    • Trade and Investment: Support to businesses and entrepreneurs and contribution to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
    • Soft Diplomacy: Diaspora Indians promote Indian classical music, dance, festivals, cuisine, Indian films, yoga, etc., making them popular globally.
    • Importance for Host Countries: For example, in the United States National Health Service (NHS), a significant number of doctors are of Indian origin.
    • Analysis:
      • In 2024, India received US$129.1 billion in remittances, the highest annual remittance inflow received by any country.
      • This accounted for 14.3% of global remittance flows, which is a significant achievement and reflects India's prominence in this sector.
      • Remittances contribute 3.3% to India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
  • Steps Taken by the Government of India for the Indian Diaspora:
    • Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY): Launched in 2017.
    • Know India Programme (KIP)
    • Knowledge-Sharing Programme: Visiting Advanced Joint Research (VAJRA)
    • Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
    • Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF): Established in 2009.

In conclusion, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas highlights the significant contribution of the Indian diaspora to India’s development. It strengthens global ties and reaffirms the vision of “Viksit Bharat”, while promoting a collaborative approach towards national progress and prosperity.