Every year on January 9, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated to honor the role played by the Indian community living abroad in the advancement of India. On this day in 1915, the greatest Pravasi, Mahatma Gandhi, returned to India from South Africa, beginning the country’s struggle for independence and transforming Indians’ lives for the better. So, January 9 was chosen as the day to commemorate this event.
The PBD Convention, the marquee event of MOIA, is held every year from January 7th to January 9th in order to connect India with the sizable overseas diaspora and bring their knowledge, expertise, and skills to a common platform.
PBD conventions have been held yearly since 2003. The PBD was changed in 2015 to take place every two years, and theme-based PBD Conferences were held in between with participation from stakeholders, policymakers, and experts from the international diaspora.
The overseas Indian community can interact with the authorities and citizens of their ancestral homeland through these conventions in order to carry out cooperative projects. The overseas Indian community, which has members living all over the world, uses these conventions as a networking opportunity so they can share their experiences in a variety of fields.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas theme for this year is “Contributing to Aatmanirbhar Bharat.” The coronavirus pandemic will practically be present during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the opening of the three-part Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2021 Convention.
