Response to NRI meet slow

With 960-odd sign-ups, the ministry says this time numbers won’t matter. ‘‘We want to work with this reservoir of Indian wealth abroad,’’ said Union Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Oscar Fernandes.

‘‘The accent of our conversations with NRI and PIO (People of Indian Origin) communities has gone beyond the cultural. The Indian diaspora is fast increasing and is spreading farther. By 2020, we need a well-connected relationship in place.’’

Focused on attracting investments, the ministry was already in preparation mode by July last year. At a cost of approximately Rs 3 crore, the meet is funded by the Centre and by state governments and institutional partners. While the US, Canada and the Gulf countries still bring a high number of entries, emails helped gather participation from newer places on the diaspora map like Poland, Hungary and Afghanistan. The year’s largest delegation, at 140 members, comes from Malaysia.

But, for host state Andhra Pradesh, the event adds to an already crowded season. The Andhra government has blocked as many as 1,250 hotels rooms and has listed 400 places of stay in Hyderabad for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas delegates. What with the Indian Science Congress, and the ongoing 12-day Kalchakra—a global Buddhist conclave that has the Dalai Lama’s participation—the pressure on the hospitality industry is immense.