In a first, Odisha will host the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) at Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar from January 8 to 10.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the event, which will offer an opportunity to engage and connect with overseas Indians and enable the diaspora to collaborate in nation-building. President Droupadi Murmu, who belongs to Odisha, is slated to attend the mega event on the concluding day.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Sekhawat will also attend the event.
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Trinidad and Tobago’s President Christine Carla Kangaloo will be the chief guest of the event, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said Tuesday after chairing a preparatory meet in Bhubaneswar. Around 7,000 guests from the country and abroad are scheduled to attend the mega event.
Among them are over 200 foreign journalists and vloggers from seven countries. Noting that the event is an opportunity to showcase Odisha’s art and culture at the international level, Majhi said all efforts would be made to provide the best of services to the guests. “The guests will be taken on guided tours to 31 attractive spots in Bhubaneswar, Konark, Puri, and Cuttack, and various cultural programmes have also been lined up for them at different places,” an official said.
Utkarsh Odisha: Make in Odisha Conclave 2025
The state government is all set to organise ‘Utkarsh Odisha: Make in Odisha Conclave 2025’ January 28 and 29.
In his first Budget presented in July, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who is also the Finance minister, announced his government’s plan to attract domestic investment of Rs 2.5 trillion and foreign direct investments (FDI) of over $2 billion by 2029, keeping in line with the BJP’s election manifesto.
Singapore will be the first country partner for the mega conclave. According to High Commissioner of Singapore to India Simon Wong who met Majhi, Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will visit Odisha during his India tour in January. Apart from Singapore, the Odisha government has invited several other countries, including Japan and Germany, to be the country partner for the upcoming mega investment summit. At least 34 countries have been invited to participate in the two-day event.
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While interacting with ambassadors from various countries and members of the different association in New Delhi, Majhi had informed them about Odisha, located on the eastern seaboard of India, with a coastline of over 480 kilometres.
Odisha, he said, is now an emerging destination for investments from diverse sectors, and geographies. “We are a state of immense natural wealth. Rich deposits of minerals like iron ore, bauxite, nickel, chromite, and coal, along with vast forest and water resources, have made Odisha a key player in India’s mineral and metal-based industries,” said the CM. He said his state has a highly skilled workforce that is ready to meet the demands of modern industries.
PNN
