Urging Britain’s sizable Indian diaspora to work and invest in India, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said the Government would deliver fast on its promises to ensure it lived up to the hopes of Indians not just in the country but those abroad too.

Departing from her inaugural speech in English to London’s first regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Swaraj made an impassioned appeal to Britain’s 1.5 million-strong diaspora to participate in India’s “new growth story” under her Government, highlighting initiatives such as the 100 smart cities plan, full rail connectivity, the provision of clean drinking water and electricity, as opportunities for involvement.

“We are aware that there is hope as much outside India as there is inside…we are aware of the responsibility ,” she said setting out the Government’s vision as being “A job for every hand, water for every field, food for every stomach.”

The Government was aware that those who voted in hope could also be easily disappointed, she acknowledged. “We will deliver and we will deliver fast.”

Swaraj and British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond inaugurated the two-day Pravasi Bharatia Divas, held at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London, discussing the role and contribution of the diaspora in Britain and exploring new ways in which the diaspora could invest in India.

Bilateral issues

Hammond and Swaraj said they would be discussing bilateral issues, especially relating to the security environment in the context of the new ISIS threat. “A strong foreign policy partnership can play an important role in advancing both our nations’ security and political agenda.” He urged Britons of Indian origin to become ambassadors of the country in India.

“We regard relations with the UK as a priority in India’s external engagement,” Swaraj said during her formal speech.

High Commissioner Ranjan Mathai said the Government was keen to hear from the UK-based Indian community’s take on what could be done to strengthen their ties with India. “This is a community that has stood by India in good times and difficult days,” he said. In a press conference following the meeting, spokesperson and joint secretary of the External Affairs Ministry Syed Akbaruddin said the ministers had held a 45-minute discussion on economic ties, Afghanistan, ISIS, the fall in number of Indian student in the UK, and how the countries could work together as part of the global effort to tackle the Ebola virus.

comment COMMENT NOW