India Seeks Nri Contribution In Development Process

India is in look out for a contribution from the NRI’s in the country’s
development process in order to tighten its economic growth and toughen
the bonds of the oversea Indians with their mother nation.

In an statement the Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, Vayalar
Ravi, said that the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) 2008, set to be held
in Delhi, would definitely help the NRI’s strengthen their bonds with
their country of origin.

He further added that Indian communities around the world have expressed
their eagerness and pledged their support to the plan for holding the
annual flagship event by his ministry at the Vigyan Bhavan from January
7 to 9.

In their campaign to promote tha PBD the minister met non-resident
Indians (NRIs) and persons of Indian origin (PIOs) as well as representatives
of various Indian cultural and social organisations in the Scandinavian
countries, Germany and Switzerland.

The minister, who held a series of meetings in Stockholm, Berlin and
Zurich, said he was encouraged by the response from the Indian communities
and their interest in the three-day PBD, which will be held under the
theme, ‘Engaging the Indian Diaspora: the Way Forward’.

The minister conveyed to the Indian diaspora the government’s interest
in their welfare and in getting them involved in India’s economic and
social development.

Mr. Ravi also detailed the objectives of the newly-created Overseas
Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC) and the way NRIs and PIOs could benefit
from its various programs and services. The OIFC was set up after the
5th PBD last year in cooperation with the CII to promote NRI’s investment
in India and facilitate partnerships between Indian companies and those
of the diaspora.

.

Photo: The Howrah Bridge, Kolkata, India by Vyacheslav Argenberg, licensed under CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.