Pink City rolls out red carpet

Pink City rolls out red carpet

The Pink City is all decked up to receive non-resident Indians (NRIs) in large numbers to participate in the three-day-long 10th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas beginning on Saturday.

According to officials, so far over 1300 delegates from 54 countries have registered themselves to attend the annual event.

All roads leading to Birla Auditorium, the venue of the conference, have been re-done. Historical buildings, including the Hawa Mahal, have been freshly painted to give them a new look.

The conference would be formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday. Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad Bissessar would be the chief guest.

Though the preparations for the conference were going on for the past six months, Government officials involved in the event are working round the clock for the past fortnight to ensure that the event is a grand success. None other than Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot himself had lobbied for the event.

Altogether, about a dozen Union Ministers and Chief Minister of half a dozen States, including Narendra Modi of Gujarat and Nitish Kumar of Bihar, would attend the event. The industries department is putting up a show to make delegates aware about what all the State would offer them if they decide to invest here,” says Sunil Arora, principal secretary Industries.

The State Government is hoping that the NRIs may be interested in exploring the possibilities to invest in the field of solar and wind energy. The other areas that can attract them for investment are mining, tourism and health sector.

In a session on inclusive growth, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee would speak on how NRIs could synergise their competency with India’s growth for optimal mutual gains.

Many other personalities like Shashi Tharoor, Sam Pitroda and Mohammed Azharuddin are likely to interact with delegates in numerous sessions during the conference. Various Chief Ministers would also interact with the participants to tell them about the business opportunities in their States.