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00:00There are two plenary discussions today at the PBD convention.
00:07The fourth plenary was chaired today by the Honorable External Affairs Minister, Dr. S.
00:12Jai Shankar on the topic, Diaspora Divas Celebrating Women's Leadership and Influence Nari Shakti.
00:21It was moderated by Dr. Ritu Karidhal, scientist and aerospace engineer at the ISRO.
00:28The fifth session today was on Diaspora Dialogues, Stories of Culture, Connections and Belongingness
00:35which was chaired by the Honorable Minister of Culture and Tourism, S. Gajendra Singh
00:40Sikhawat and moderated by Director General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations,
00:46S. Nandini Singla.
00:47I may add here that the panelists in all the five sessions were experts from abroad in
00:53various fields.
00:57The valedictory session of the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Convention which concluded a little
01:02while ago was chaired by the Honorable President of India.
01:06She conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards on 27 distinguished members of the
01:12Indian diaspora from 24 countries to honor their outstanding contribution and achievements
01:20in various fields such as business, education, community service, medicine, public affairs,
01:28science and technology, both in their own countries of residence as well as in India.
01:36The Honorable President delivered her valedictory address in which she observed that the Indian
01:42diaspora has made a mark that the world acknowledges and respects.
01:47She congratulated all the winners of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards for their
01:52exemplary achievements and extraordinary contributions.
01:56She described the PBD Convention as a platform where ideas converge, collaborations are forged
02:03and bonds between India and the diaspora are strengthened.
02:07She observed that the Indian diaspora was an integral part of the vision of building
02:12a vixit Bharat by 2047 and urged them to actively engage in this journey.
02:19She made a special mention about the contribution of women, students and the youth amongst our
02:26diaspora.
02:28There were many events on the sidelines of this convention.
02:31The Honorable External Affairs Minister and other Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State
02:37who were present during the three-day session had bilateral meetings with the ministerial
02:42delegations from Mauritius, Malaysia and South Africa.
02:48They also had separate meetings with countries that had big delegations of diaspora such
02:53as from Malaysia, Myanmar, Kuwait, Mauritius, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates,
03:03United Kingdom and the United States of America.
03:07In those separate meetings, the diaspora got an opportunity to discuss their issues
03:12with the ministers concerned directly.
03:15The five plenary sessions saw overwhelming response and the discussions went off very
03:21well and were productive.
03:23All the panelists contributed well and there were interactive discussions with the diaspora.
03:29From the feedback received, participants are very happy with the hospitality extended by
03:35the people of Bhubaneswar and Odisha as well as the State Government of Odisha and especially
03:42for all those officials who are working here.
03:45There was great appreciation for the tourism program organized and the different kinds
03:50of local cuisine served during the convention.
03:54Before concluding, I would like to mention that the hosting of the 18th Pramasi Bharatiya
03:59Divas Convention in Odisha was in line with the Government of India's Purvodaya Plan under
04:06which all-round development of five states of eastern India, including Odisha, would
04:11be undertaken.
04:13The discussions during the PBD showed that Odisha is a leader in India when it comes
04:18to mining, iron and steel manufacturing, marine economy, sports, skilling and even knowledge
04:26economy.
04:28Odisha is a rich tourism destination with culture, history, religious sites, national
04:34parks and pristine beaches.
04:37The PBD convention highlighted Odisha's tourism potential.
04:42Several Indian IT companies have already established their base in Odisha.
04:46The PBD event was an opportunity to showcase what Odisha has to offer to the world.
04:53It was felt that Odisha can be a gateway to promoting cultural ties between India and
04:59the ASEAN region.