‘World today listens to India’: PM Modi inaugurates 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Odisha

PM Modi on Thursday launched the18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Odisha, and hailed India's rapid economic development over the last 10 years.

PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Odisha. (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated the 18th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, highlighting that other countries have started looking up to India over the last ten years. The Prime Minister also inaugurated and took a tour of four exhibitions and promotional stalls of the Centre and state ministries and departments.

During the inauguration ceremony of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2025, PM Modi said, “In just a few days, the Mahakumbh will start in Prayagraj. The festival of Makar Sankranti, Magh Bihu are also coming up. There is a joyful atmosphere everywhere. For us, it was on this day in 1915 when Mahatma Gandhi came back to India after a long time abroad.”

Commending the government’s efforts for the economic development in India, PM Modi said, “In the last 10 years, over 25 crore people have been uplifted from poverty. India is also now the fifth largest economy in the world, and soon it will assume the third place.”

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The Prime Minister also said that India is a country filled with skilled youths. “India’s rapid skill and economic development is being noticed around the world. The world today listens to India, which not only presents its own views but those of the global south,” he said.

“We are not only mother of democracy, but democracy is part of our lives,” he added.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is being jointly organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and the BJP government in Odisha from January 8 to January 10. The theme of the convention is ‘Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat.’

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