This Article First Appeared In Indian Express On Jan 10, 2023
Inaugurating the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Indians living overseas are “brand ambassadors” of the country on foreign soil.
Over the years, the convention, which began under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 2003, has grown in size and scope, particularly since 2015, when the Ministry of External Affairs turned the event into a biennial affair.
The ongoing Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention in Indore is the 17th edition of the event, which commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi to India on January 9, 1915 from South Africa. But the story of the Indian expat goes back further.