Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs Jagdish Tytler addressing a press conference on the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas-2005 in New Delhi on Sept. 30. (Photo: Courtesy, Press Information Bureau)

New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the third edition of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, India’s annual conclave to connect with its vast diaspora across the globe, in Mumbai Jan 7-9.

“This is the first time the event is being organized outside the capital to expose the Indian diaspora to different regions of India,” Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs Jagdish Tytler told a press conference here on Sept. 30.

The highlights of the three-day event include plenary sessions with Congress party president Sonia Gandhi, External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and several chief ministers .

People of Indian origin and non-resident Indians from around 70 countries are expected to come in large delegations to the event, which will also honor some prominent members of the overseas Indian community, Tytler said.

“It will be absolutely business-like. It will not be a tamasha (jamboree),” he said, adding that the government also intends to invite 50 outstanding students from overseas for the three-day event. Last year’s event had seen participation from 61 countries, including large contingents from the U.S., East Asian countries, the Middle East and Britain.

Tytler said the government intended to approach the issue of honoring prominent Indians at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in a transparent and professional manner.

“A committee and a jury is being constituted for this purpose,” he said. President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has been invited to confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) will co-hosting the event with support from the Maharashtra government.

The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the Asian American Hotel Owners’ Association (AAHOA) and the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) are among those participating in these events.

Other organizations include the Malayalam Indian Congress and the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong, Tytler said.