High Commission of India

Ottawa 

Celebration of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Ottawa

Press Release

On 08 January 2017, the High Commission of India in Ottawa celebrated the 14^th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. The celebration included recounting the address of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Bengaluru and an interactive session with the leading members of Indian diaspora from Ottawa, Montreal and Kingston on the way forward for even greater cooperation between the High commission and the diaspora community.

Welcoming the community members, Counsellor Shri Bidhu Shekhar explained the significance and importance of the annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. He also thanked them for making it convenient to attend the session. The gathering watched the speech delivered by Hon’ble Prime Minister, following which the Acting High Commissioner Shri Arun Kumar Sahu highlighted the initiatives taken by the Government of India to engage India intensely with the Indian diaspora. He invited the diaspora to come forward to make even bigger contribution to the various flagship initiatives such as Make in India, Skill India, Smart Cities, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, etc. He encouraged the diaspora youth to take advantage of the Know India Programme and other avenues for greater educational linkages.

The Associations which were represented by prominent members included Indian Cultural Association (ICA), Kingston; Indo-Canada Alliance De Montreal; India Canada Ottawa Business Chamber (ICOBC); Canada-India Centre for Excellence (CICE), Carleton University; Gujarati Cultural Association (GCA); India-Canada Association (ICA), Ottawa; Odiya Association; Malayali Association; Punjabi Heritage Foundation of Canada;  Mahatma Gandhi Peace Council, Carleton University; Sikh Community Services, Ottawa; Ottawa Telugu Association; Festival of India; Indo-Canadian Press Club; South Indian Cultural Association (SICA) and Ottawa Marathi Mandal (OMM).

Ottawa

08.01.2017