Govt to facilitate overseas Indians visiting India in search of their roots

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday that the government was in talks with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to facilitate more people visiting India in search of their roots or feel connected to their personal heritage.

"What we are doing is talking with IRCTC and provide more facilities for these people. We also expect to see more competitive packages that allow to people to travel by their own," Jaishankar said while interacting with Indian diaspora from Malaysia through video- conference on the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas this evening.

"We do understand and appreciate that diaspora wants to take a spiritual journey where they are connected to their roots and heritage. Regarding the initiatives that we directly oversee, we have done three packages," he said in response to a question whether the number of people can be accommodated in such visits.

The minister said tracing one's roots is very important. "It has emotional and psychological significance. Earlier we had a scheme called 'Tracing the roots.' But only a few used it," he said.

"For some reasons, either it was not known or not user-friendly. But let me go back and fix the scheme. It is an important scheme. I will come back with a practical solution for tracing you," he added.