PM Modi launches Pravasi Bharatiya Express; check route, destinations, more

The Pravasi Bharatiya Express tourist train for the Indian diaspora was launched today. Connecting the diaspora with their historical and cultural roots is the goal of the project

The Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a unique tourist train for the Indian diaspora, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. It will depart from the Nizamuddin railway station in New Delhi. This day, January 9, also marks the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's 1915 return from South Africa to India. 

 

Notably, this train service was introduced in collaboration with the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) under the Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana (PTDY) of the Ministry of External Affairs. 

All about the Pravasi Bharatiya Express

From Delhi's Nizamuddin railway station, the train will embark on a three-week journey that will pass through several touristic and religiously significant locations in India, such as Ayodhya, Rameswaram, Madurai, Kochi, Goa, Patna, Gaya, Varanasi, Mahabalipuram, Ekta Nagar (Kevadia), Ajmer, Pushkar, and Agra. 

 

There are 156 seats available on the Pravasi Bharatiya Express. The train was created specifically for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) between the ages of 45 and 65 in order to help the diaspora reconnect with their spiritual and cultural heritage.

Pravasi Bharatiya Express: Insights 

The ministry said that the government will pay for all of the costs associated with the train tour. Additionally, the ministry will cover 90% of qualifying participants' return airfare from their home countries to India; travelers will only be responsible for the remaining 10%. According to the tour itinerary, participants will stay in 4-star hotels or similar hotels.

18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: The theme 

PM Modi also inaugurated the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention in Odisha on Thursday. The Centre, along with the Odisha state government, organised the PBD convention, being held in Bhubaneswar from January 8 to 10.

 

"Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers: Stories of Migrant Skills" is the theme for the afternoon. Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and Labour & Employment presided over the session, featuring a number of well-known speakers from the diaspora. 

 

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Electronics & Information Technology; Information & Broadcasting and Railways, will chair the evening session, which has as its theme "Green Connections: Diaspora's Contributions to Sustainable Development." On Friday, the last session will take place. The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards will be presented, and President Droupadi Murmu will give the closing remarks.