Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday inaugurate the 17th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention in Madhya Pradesh`s Indore city. President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali will be the chief guest and the Republic of Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi will be the special guest of honour, officials said. PM Modi in a tweet on Sunday said, "Looking forward to being in the vibrant city of Indore tomorrow, 9th January to mark Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. This is a great opportunity to deepen the connect with our diaspora, which has distinguished itself globally." The theme of the PBD convention is `Diaspora: Reliable partners for India`s progress in Amrit Kaal`, officials earlier said. More than 3,500 diaspora members from 70 countries have registered for the event, which is being organised in physical mode for the first time since 2019.

The 16th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) convention was held in virtual mode in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Modi will on Monday also inaugurate the first-ever digital PBD exhibition on the theme "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav - Contribution of Diaspora in Indian Freedom Struggle¿ to highlight the contribution of the diaspora freedom fighters in India`s Independence, an official said. A commemorative postal stamp `Surakshit Jaayen, Prashikshit Jaayen` will be released to underline the importance of safe, legal, orderly and skilled migration. In view of India`s ongoing Presidency of the G20, a special town hall will also be organised on Monday. The G20, or Group of 20, is an intergovernmental forum of the world`s major developed and developing economies. It comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US, and the European Union (EU).