He presented Pravasi Bhartiya Sanmam Awards to 15 eminent recipients, including the President of Mauritius, Rajkeswur Kailash Purryag and Overseas Indian organisations.

Other recipients of the Award were Ismail Ebrahim Ebrahim and Subash Razdan for public service, Dr Rasik Vihari Joshi for literature, Ms Patrica Maria Rozario for Music, Prof Gursharan Singh Chhatwal for Science, Gilbert Canabady Moutien and Mohammed Rabeeh Karuvanthodi for business, Dr Narendra Ramakrishna Kumar for Healthcare, Tan Sri Ravindran Menon, Bava Pandalingal, Ashok Shambhomal Vaswani and Dr Satendra Kumar Singh

Two Overseas Indian organisations, namely Australia-India Society of Victoria and Indian Doctors Forum, Kuwait also received Pravasi Bharatiya Sanmam Awards.

Kerala has decided to set up a Global Advisory Committee for NRIs from the State on the lines of the Prime Minister’s Global Advisory Committee for Overseas Indians

Delivering the valedictory address at the 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here on Wednesday, the President said : 'We should explore ways and means to encourage further participation by the diaspora to give additional impetus to India's growth story.'

'I also wish to see the Indian diaspora as a stronger partner, not only in India's economic growth, but also in building India's knowledge society, while continuing to engage culturally and emotionally, and serving as the effective ambassadors that they have been for this country,' the President said.

Referring to the presence of the Mauritius President in the conclave, the Indian President said : 'It is a matter of pride for every Indian that there are at least five heads of state or government, and over 70 senior political leaders such as deputy heads of state, speakers, ministers in various countries, who can trace their roots to India.'

Addressing a plenary session at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Kochi today, the Chief Minister said the committee will take up issues like providing financial aid for those arrested for illegal stay in Gulf Cooperation Council states to facilitate their return. It will also discuss issues relating to providing legal aid to the needy. He said the committee will also take up the issue of voting rights of Non Resident Keralites in the local body polls.

The Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur said that the Government being aware of several problems faced by the Overseas Indians in host countries has signed agreements with some of these countries and will be signing labour mobility partnership agreements with countries where employment opportunities are likely to emerge.

The Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy announced that a Global Advisory Committee will be set up in the state to discuss issues being faced by the Non Resident Keralites.

He said the State Government will ask the Centre for a stake in the Air India Express shares, if the union government does not give nod for its proposal for setting up Air Kerala, a low-cost airline for catering to Non-Resident Keralites working in the Gulf.

He said the state government will have to take some hard decisions to improve infrastructure facilities in the state.

Kerala has stepped up efforts to encourage NRIs to invest in various sectors of the state.

After the success of the Technopark-TBI (Technology Business Incubator), the state government is all set for the NRI-TB, the Managing Director of Technopark-TBI, KC. Chandrasekharan Nair said.

The TBI identifies potential entrepreneurs with innovative ideas, nurture them through different phases of growth, until the business takes off to a maturity level.

'This is going to be launched with the full support of the centre which has extended an initial funding of Rs.2.5 crore. To start with, we will launch one each at Kochi, Kollam and Kozhikode,' said Nair.

The Technopark-TBI has so far incubated more than 165 start up technology firms in their incubation facilities in the past nine years, with a success rate of over 96 per cent.

'If the Technopark-TBI is for IT, the three NRI-TBI's would have a larger canvas and would have sectors like the service industry, electronics and other sectors,' the official said.

'We will provide a space which would be around 250 to 300 sq.ft and provide them all the facilities...Besides being a plug and play facility, the members will get an address to start with,' said Nair.

All those who come in and begin their enterprise will have to move out of the centre in three years time.

'We have been getting a good number of inquiries and we felt that the PBD is the place where we could launch this,' said Nair.

On Tuesday the Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh chaired the fourth meeting of the Global Advisory Council of Overseas Indians. Thirteen eminent Overseas Indians from across the world attended the meeting. The Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi; Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma; Minister of External Affairs Salman Khurshid; Minister of Human Resource Development MM Pallam Raju; Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia and senior officials of Government of India also attended the meeting.

The eminent Overseas Indians present included Karan F.Bilimoria, Swadesh Chatterjee, Ela Gandhi, Lord Khalid Hameed, Dr. Renu Khator, Kishore Mahbubani, L.N.Mittal, Lord Bhiku Chotalal Parekh, Sam Pitroda, Tan Sri Dato’ Ajit Singh, Neville Joseph Roach, Prof. Srinivasa SR Varadhan and Yusuffali M.A.

During the meeting, the participants exchanged views on key international issues and their implications for India, including the global economic situation; developments in West Asia and the Gulf region; energy security; and trends in the Asia Pacific region. The members also gave their perspectives on strengthening engagement between India and the Overseas Indians as well as between India and various countries in the bilateral sphere.
Prime Minister thanked the members for their perspective and constructive suggestions.

Prime Minister’s Global Advisory Council of Overseas Indians was constituted in 2009 and meets annually. Its objective is to draw upon the experience and knowledge of eminent Overseas Indians in diverse fields from across the world, to develop a comprehensive agenda for engagement between India and the Diaspora.