The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) 2025 was celebrated on 09 January 2025.
18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2025: Convention
The 18th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention was held on January 8-10, 2025, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
- The 18th PBD Convention 2025 was held in partnership with the Government of Odisha in Bhubaneshwar.
- This was the first Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to be held in Eastern India. This approach is in line with Government of India’s focus on ‘Purvodaya’.
Theme:
The theme of the 18th PBD Convention 2025 was “Diaspora’s contribution to a Viksit Bharat” (Developed India).
Inauguration of the 18th PBD Convention:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention on January 9, 2025.
Pravasi Bharatiya Express:
» Prime Minister remotely flagged-off the inaugural journey of the Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special Tourist Train for the Indian diaspora.
- The train departed from Nizamuddin Railway Station, Delhi and will visit various places of tourist and religious importance in India over a period of three weeks.
- Pravasi Bharatiya Express has been conducted under the Pravasi Teertha Darshan Yojana of the Ministry of External Affairs.
Prime Minister also inaugurated four exhibitions at the 18th PBD Convention:
- Vishwaroop Ram – The Universal Legacy of Ramayana
- Diaspora’s Contribution to Technology and Viksit Bharat
- Spread and Evolution of Indian diaspora in the world with special focus on Mandvi to Muscat
- Heritage and Culture of Odisha
Plenary Sessions of the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention 2025:
- Diaspora Youth Leadership: Harnessing youth leadership in a globalized world.
- Migrant Skills: Stories of building bridges and breaking barriers.
- Sustainable Development: Contributions of the diaspora to green initiatives.
- Women’s Leadership: Celebrating Nari Shakti and the influence of diaspora women.
- Cultural Connections: Stories of belonging and cultural dialogue.
Valedictory Session:
» President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu presided over the valedictory session of PBD 2025.
- The President of India also presented the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards at the closing session of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations.
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2025:
» President of India conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards on 27 individuals from 24 countries.
List of Awardees of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2025
About Pravasi Bharatiya Divas:
- The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) celebrated once in two years on 9th January is a significant event that honors the contributions of the Indian diaspora to their homeland.
- The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations commemorate the day in 1915 when the greatest Pravasi, Mahatma Gandhi, returned to India from South Africa to lead the country’s freedom struggle.
- The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention was first established in 2003 under the government of then Prime Minister Late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as a platform to recognize and engage with the overseas Indian community.
- The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is the flagship event of the Ministry of External Affairs. It is held in different cities, to showcase the diversity and progress of different regions of India.
- Since 2015, it has evolved into a biennale event, with theme-based conferences held in the intervening years. This format allows for more focused discussions on specific areas of interest and provides opportunities for networking among the global Indian diaspora.
The primary goals of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas are:
- To commemorate the contributions of the Indian diaspora to India’s development
- To create a better understanding of India abroad
- To support India’s causes and work for the welfare of local Indian communities worldwide
- To provide a platform for overseas Indians to engage with the government and people of their ancestral land.