Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: Saudi Royals’ Doctor, Japan CEO Among 27 To Be Honoured Today

Bhubaneswar: President Droupadi Murmu, who arrived in Bhubaneswar last evening, will honour overseas Indians during the valedictory session of the 3-day 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention here on Friday.

She will confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2025 on 27 people, including a former pharma CEO in Japan to a Spanish politician, a medical practitioner empanelled with the Saudi royals to a businessman in Malawi.

Among the awardees are President of Trinidad & Tobago Christine Carla Kangaloo in public affairs, Baroness Usha Kumari Prashar from the UK in politics, Dr Sharmila Ford from the US in community service and Dr Syed Anwar Khursheed from Saudi Arabia in the field of Medical Science.

The Ministry of External Affairs had announced the names of the awardees for this year from countries like the US, Fiji, Guyana, Mauritius, Moldova, Myanmar, Russia and Saudi Arabia on January 3. The award recognises outstanding achievements in various fields and celebrates the accomplishments and commitments of NRIs and PIOs in sectors such as education, science and innovation, trade and industry, arts and culture, social work, public service, and philanthropy.

Murmu will also present her closing remarks at the convention, which began on January 8.

According to the President’s itinerary, she will attend the programme in the afternoon and then return to Delhi.

Meanwhile, the delegates have been participating in various plenary sessions on various issues during the three-day convention, which was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 9 commemorating the return of Mahatma Gandhi to India from South Africa in 1915.

The last day of the mega event will witness two plenary sessions – ‘Diaspora Divas: Celebrating Women’s Leadership and Influence – Nari Shakti’ and ‘Diaspora Dialogues: Stories of Culture, Connection, and Belongingness’.