Wednesday, January 1, 2025 Bhubaneswar: The number of participants for the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention has witnessed a sharp rise with only a few days left for the three-day convention at Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The daily registration number has surged to more than 150 in the last couple of days, compared to 40-50 requests a week ago, as per data shared by officials from the Department of Home, Government of Odisha. The Government of Odisha has set a target of attracting 3,500 non-resident Indians (NRIs) from around 50 nations for the convention that starts on January 9.
The total attendees for the three-day conclave would be around 7,500, including local participation, according to a state government projection. The registration requests to attend the event have predominantly come from Indian residents of Southeast Asian nations, followed by Gulf countries and Europe. Participants from more than 30 countries have shown interest in attending the biennial event at the state capital.
Odisha has a 482-km-long coastline facing Southeast Asia. With its maiden attempt to organise the NRI event, the Government of Odisha aims to attract large investment in different sectors such as tourism and port-based infrastructure development. Among the interested NRIs, those from Kerala, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh dominate, alongside a significant number from Odisha itself.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), ever since its inception in 2003 during the prime ministership of Atal Bih.
