Inaugurating the 13^th Pravasi Bharitiya Divas on Thursday, 8^th January at Mahatma Mandir at Gandhinagar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed over 4000 NRIs from 58 countries.

In the inaugural speech, PM Modi said, “I know you have faced visa problems in the past and that is why there will be Visa on arrival for more countries”. At present 43 countries including Australia, Germany, Singapore, UAE, USA enjoy the facility of Visa on arrival. Modi also confirmed the merged PIO and OCI card so that everyone gets the same benefits.

With nearly 25 million people of Indian origin or NRI working or settled abroad, Indians are the second largest migrants after Chinese. Indians are playing an important role in shaping the world and they enhance the reputation of India when they represent India globally.

And he emphasized the importance that Indians bring to the world and it’s not about dollar and pounds said Modi, it’s the value that Indians add is much respected.

PM Modi never seems to stop adding values to the words with his stories. He further elaborated how many families who have settled abroad now have their second and third generation living abroad and they want to do something for India. For those who have something in their heart they want to do something for India, they have many opportunities and they shouldn’t believe that for everything dollars and pounds are needed.

“I met this girl from Canada who belonged to a Muslim family, she born in some African country and later on moved to Canada with family. Even her parents never saw India but after 2001’s earthquake in Kutch, she came to India and worked there for months to help the ones in need. We must understand this strength. We have knowledge, experience, exposure to work in different scenarios, we have gone through discipline and we can implement it in India for our people,” he added.