NEW DELHI: A mini Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be organised in the US next month in an attempt to reach out to the Indian diaspora in the American continent and to project the vast opportunities in the country.
The event, to be held in New York on September 23 in the run up to the annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in January, will see participation of NRIs and People of Indian Origin (PIOs) from the Carribeans, the US and Latin America.
"The idea behind organising a mini Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is to reach out more to the Indian diaspora. If it is successful, we will organise such events in other places also," Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said.
Ravi said his ministry has already received offers to host mini PBDs from countries like Singapore and Malaysia. The Overseas Indian Affairs ministry organises Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in January every year.
Ravi said his ministry decided to organise mini PBD on an experimental basis after a suggestion in this regard came from former President APJ Abdul Kalam. "This year America, next year may be somewhere else," he added.
He was talking to reporters at a function in which the ministry signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the CII to organise the 'Know India Programme' which introduces overseas Indian youth to the country's culture, heritage and history.
Under the programme sponsored by the government, around 100 overseas Indian youth visit India every year to rediscover their roots. "We want to organise the programme in a more professional manner. That is why we tied up with the CII," he added.
