The weather may have dropped to record cold temperatures in Delhi, but that hasn’t stopped 1Â 500 conference delegates from more than 100 different nations flocking to New Delhi on Saturday.
A smorgasbord of races? Not quite. The conference in question is a gathering of Indians and people of Indian descent from across the world, in the emerging power’s bid for increased foreign investment from its some 27-million diaspora — the second largest of any nation after China.
From the United States to Malaysia and even Hungary, business people, academics, journalists and more gathered in the misty city for the ninth “Pravasi Bharatiya Divas” (PBD); Hindi for “global Indian”.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in signature turban, spoke glowingly of Indians abroad on Saturday morning, as the Indian government reaches out for private sector help in the massive health, education and infrastructure challenges facing the nation of over a billion.
While India has the world’s eleventh-largest economy by GDP and has experienced high-powered growth in the last few years, hundreds of millions of citizens are still living below the poverty line, and corruption and inefficiency plague the government and service delivery.
Change on the way
Singh, however, assured delegates that change was on the way. “We are examining seriously how to make systemic changes that ensure more transparent procedures and safeguards in our governance processes,” he said.
“I believe our democracy is sturdy, vibrant and has its own inbuilt mechanisms for redressal and course correction.”
It was one of many bids to attract an interest in the country’s challenges, rebranded as investment opportunities.
Beyond the challenges however, the scope for investment in the world’s second largest democracy and its vast untapped markets is massive. Infrastructure is a key area, with the government looking to invest $1-trillion by 2017 in the sector.
Already India is the largest recipient of overseas remittances. The amount of money sent into the country by workers abroad grew from $49,6-billion in 2009 to $55-billion in 2010.
Voting and visiting rights
In a series of measures aimed at keeping people of Indian descent interested in the country the government announced voting rights to non-resident Indians at this, the ninth PBD.
There were other rights announced, even for those removed by several generations.
Singh spoke of the government’s newly introduced Overseas Citizen of India card and the People of Indian Origin card “to facilitate visa-free travel to India as well as to provide the rights of residency and participation in business and educational activities in India”.
Prominent people of Indian descent included special guest speaker Anand Satyanand, New Zealand’s governor general. After recounting his grandparents’ journey from India, he quoted novelist Amitav Ghosh on the “epic relationship” between India and her diaspora.
However he acknowledged the plurality of identities. “While proud of my Indian and Pacific heritage, New Zealand is my home and I would not wish it to be any other way.”
South Africa
It is a sentiment familiar to South African Indians, many of whom have been in South African for five generations or more.
Last year marked the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indian indentured labour in South Africa. The massive movement of people transformed parts of Kwa-Zulu Natal at one point into the biggest location of Indians outside of India.
The anniversary year was marked by a plethora of celebrations and commemorations ranging from fashion shows, to golf days and film festivals, many hosted by the Indian embassy in South Africa.
Sunday will see the announcement of this year’s Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award, honouring select members of the Indian diaspora for their achievements.
In 2009, South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan was one of the 14 to win awards.
Verashni Pillay’s visit to Delhi to cover the PBD was sponsored by the Indian government.