Pravasi Bharatiya Divas LIVE: Modi calls for 'One World, One Sun, One Grid'

While inaugurating the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed NRIs and called them 'brand ambassadors of India'

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All people of Indian-origin aged 45 to 65 can apply and a group will be selected out of them with first preference given to people from 'Girmitiya countries' such as Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica.

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They will be taken to religious places of all major religions in India and the government will bear all the expenses, including the airfare from their country of residence.

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The first batch of 40 Indian-origin people are at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and from there they will begin their tour.

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PM launches Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana

PM Modi on Tuesday launched the Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana under which a group of Indian diaspora will be taken on a government-sponsored tour of religious places in India twice a year.

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The leaders also discussed ways to expand further cooperation in areas of 'blue economy' and collaboration in Africa, the statement said.

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The two leaders also discussed ongoing bilateral development cooperation projects and new proposals for critical partnership projects in health, disaster management and energy sectors were agreed upon.

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The discussions between Modi and Jugnauth focussed on initiatives to further strengthen the bilateral ties, including finalisation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, it said. 

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The two prime ministers reviewed the entire gamut of the long-standing and time-tested strategic relationship between both countries, based on deep emotional bonds of kinship and culture, according to a Ministry of External Affairs statement.

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India, Mauritius discuss finalisation of comprehensive economic partnership agreement

PM Modi on Tuesday held talks with his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth here on ways to boost bilateral trade and investment, including finalisation of a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, and expand cooperation in 'blue economy' sectors.

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India is the largest trading partner of Mauritius and has been the largest exporter of goods and services to the Indian Ocean island nation since 2007. India's exports to Mauritius comprise largely of petroleum products. 

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"Cementing brotherly ties. PM@narendramodi and PM Pravind Jugnauth of Mauritius held warm and productive discussions on the margins of #PBD2019. Discussed enhancing cooperation in trade & investment, development partnership and cultural linkages," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

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Modi holds talks with Mauritian PM

PM Narendra Modi held talks with his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth on Tuesday and vowed to deepen ties in sectors such as trade and investment and boost bilateral development partnership. The two leaders met here on the sidelines of the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.

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Later, Jugnauth held talks with Modi on the sidelines of the event and the two leaders discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties.

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Jugnauth also thanked India for supporting Mauritius' development through various assistance projects.

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Jugnauth said the diaspora connect was very important in the development journey.

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Jugnauth lauded India for spearheading the setting up of the International Solar Alliance.

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"The world applauds the impressive economic performance of India and the transformation of this country under your leadership Modi ji. Your wish for a modern and prosperous India has inspired many initiatives like Skill India, Digital India, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Smart city, Start Up, India Swachch Bharat, Ayushman Bharat and many others. These not only speak of your vision of a modern India, your attachment to respect for human dignity and inclusiveness but also your wish to ensure that development benefits all citizens, including the global community," Jugnauth said, praising Modi's development initiatives. 

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Jugnauth also hailed Prime Minister Modi's leadership, saying India had transformed under him and taken many initiatives to facilitate the less fortunate to have better access to opportunities.

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The Mauritian premier lauded India's soft power and said the recognition of the International Day of Yoga was a manifestation of it.

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If India is unique, Indianness is universal, Jugnauth said in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, among others.

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Jugnauth, who also spoke in Hindi several times during his address, signed off saying, "Dono deshon ki gehri mitrita bani rahe (the friendship between the two countries continues)." 

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"Bahut bars pehle, jaun logan hiyan se Mauritius jal rahlan, aaj oo logan ki santaan ee pavitra dharti par aal howan, ja humni ki khatir ee apan aap mein aego teerthba (Many years ago, those people who had left for Mauritius, their children have come to this pure land and for them this land is pilgrimage)," the visiting leader said, drawing loud cheers from the crowd. 

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Delivering the keynote address as the chief guest at the inauguration of the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention in this temple town, Jugnauth also announced that Mauritius will host a Bhagwad Gita Mahotsav in partnership with the Haryana government next month and also for the first time organise a Bhojpuri Festival next year. Many of those from India who first arrived in Mauritius to work as indentured labourers were those from Bihar, speaking Bhojpuri. 

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Mauritian PM wows crowd at PBD with Bhojpuri

Many foreign dignitaries speak a few Hindi words to wow crowds in India but Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth went a step further on Tuesday and broke into chaste Bhojpuri in his address at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, much to the delight of the gathering. 

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Modi added: "In the last four-and-a-half years, more than two lakh Indians stranded in crisis situations abroad have been helped by the government and its efforts." 

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Stating that today India led the world in many fields, Modi said the International Solar Alliance was one such example. "It is also part of our goal of preparing solutions to India's problems, that can also solve the problems of other countries. We are working with the application of local solution, global application." 

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Modi said that in the last four years, India had taken a major step towards achieving its natural position in the world. "People used to say that India cannot change," he said. "We have changed this thinking. We have made changes."