The Parliamentarians of Indian Origin should help build economic, people-to-people and strategic connections that will be of benefit to their countries and India,” said President Ram Nath Kovind. He was speaking at a conference in honour of PIO Parliamentarians in New Delhi in January 2018. President Kovind asked the legislators to link the priorities of their countries with India’s development and see how that can help intersect with India’s growth.

The conference was organized by the Antar Rashtriya Sahyog Parishad Bharat (ARSP) and the People of Indian Origin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PIOCCI). It was attended by more than 120 Parliamentarians and Mayors of Indian origin from 23 countries. The conference deliberated on how cultural, economic and business linkages could be developed.

The President further said that the conference was a milestone as it brought together parliamentarians and public representatives of Indian origin from countries across the globe. The President said that the Indian diaspora had climbed to appreciable heights in almost all the countries where it had found a home. It had contributed to the well-being of that country and of that society – enriching the economy and adding to intellectual wealth and local culture.