Indian professionals to bridge Asean-India partnerships in PBD

The Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas will be one of the biggest platform for India's interaction with the South East Asia as well as global businesses, Indian High Commissioner to Singapore Jawed Ashraf said today.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated every year to mark the contribution of overseas Indian community in the development of India.
External Affair Minister Sushma Swaraj, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and three chief ministers will attend the event which is being organised for the first time in Singapore between Jaunary 6 and 7.
Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean will be the Guest of Honour at the two-day PBD.

The India-Singapore/ASEAN Entrepreneurship Bridge (InSpreneur) will be also held between January 5 and 6 along side the PBD.
Indian professionals in Southeast Asia is said to help build a bridge between India and ASEAN during the three-day gathering of corporate community, Ashraf said.

"Having led some of the top international corporations and with a deeper understanding of the Indian business cultures, the Indian professionals will help open a wider door for ASEAN businesses venturing into the Indian market," he added.
Stressing that the gathering is set to be one of the biggest platform for India's interaction with South East Asia as well as global businesses, he said "there are areas where regional businesses will want to learn from India, especially the digital futures, where Indian Information Technology skill have a vast lead over others".

Fintech and start-ups are the other Indian-influenced skill and technology for the global players to form partnership, said the High Commissioner.
Over 100 companies have registered for "speed dating" or match making with Indian companies which will be showcasing their expertise at the InSpreneur.
To be held 5-6 January, InSpreneur will be the biggest platform with focus on startups, Fintech, cyber security, disruptive technologies in manufacturing and India Digital Stack such as Indias successful model of Aadhar UID-enabled governance, public services, financial inclusion and payment systems.
"While we are trying to learn as much from the world, we have also a lot of IT technologies to offer," said Ashraf, underlining the importance of InSpreneur.

Meanwhile, the ASEAN-India PBD is one of the highlights of the year-longcommemoration of the 25 years of ASEAN-India partnership, which willculminate in the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit in New Delhi on January 25.
India will host leaders of ASEAN member states as Chief Guests at Republic Day parade and celebrations on January 26.
Some 600 delegates will attend the InSpreneur and over 2,500 delegates are due at the ASEAN-India PBD, the first being held in South East Asia.