Bhubaneswar, Jan 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 18th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) convention in Bhubaneswar on January 9, officials said on Monday.

The 18th PBD Convention 2025 will be held at Bhubaneswar in Odisha from 8th - 10th January 2025. The theme of this three-day convention is "Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat”.

The convention will also feature a virtual address by the Chief Guest, the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Christine Carla Kangaloo.

A large number of Indian diaspora members from over 50 different countries have registered to participate in the PBD Convention.

Prime Minister will also remotely flag-off the inaugural journey of the Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special Tourist Train for the Indian diaspora, which will depart from the Nizamuddin Railway Station in Delhi and would travel to multiple destinations of tourism and religious importance in India for a period of three weeks.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Express will be conducted under the Pravasi Teertha Darshan Yojana.

President Droupadi Murmu will preside over the Valedictory Session of the 18th PBD Convention on 10th January. The President will confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2025 upon select members of the Indian diaspora to recognise their achievements and to honour their contributions in various fields in India and abroad.

The Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held on January 8, 2025, in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports

Every year, the PBD is celebrated on January 9 to mark Mahatma Gandhi's return to India on that day in 1915. The PBD Convention is the flagship event of the Government of India that provides an important platform to connect and engage with the Indian diaspora and enable them to interact with each other.

The ensuing PBD convention is significant as it is being organised for the first time in the State of Odisha, amid its rich historical, cultural, and spiritual heritage.