April 29, 2013
JOHANNESBURG: Leading South African-Indians joined speakers from India and the US and have discussed ways to strengthen economic ties with their home country at a series of seminars hosted by the Indian High Commission.
"There were very good views shared in the conversations, which often lead to ideas and policies," said Rajiv Mehrishi, Secretary, and Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs after the seminars in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town over the past week.
April 29, 2013
JOHANNESBURG: Leading South African-Indians joined speakers from India and the US and have discussed ways to strengthen economic ties with their home country at a series of seminars hosted by the Indian High Commission.
"There were very good views shared in the conversations, which often lead to ideas and policies," said Rajiv Mehrishi, Secretary, and Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs after the seminars in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town over the past week.
The seminars focused on how NRIs and people using the Indian government's Persons of Indian Origin scheme could take advantage the sizeable economic opportunities in a wide range of sectors back home.
Abdullah Verachia, head of the India Africa Business Network at the Gordon Institute of Business Science which co-hosted the event with Indian High Commissioner Virendra Gupta, said there needed to be a dialogue about the specific role the diaspora can play.
"Other communities in the diaspora have started to build the bridges between them and India as a home country economy, and I think it's time Indian people here start looking at the fact that India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and take advantage of the opportunities this presents," Verachia said.
Munish Gupta, International Coordinator – Africa, Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), hailed the revival of the group's activities here after a gap of several years.
"South Africa was a part of it then too and some people did try to start a GOPIO South Africa, but it did not take off then…it has been revived now," he said declaring the launch of the Durban chapter of the organization today, which was started in US to give Indians globally a common voice.
Tina Kuriakose Jacob, Head of Research Division at India Centre for Migration in Delhi, gave a detailed presentation on how the Chinese and Jewish diaspora played a role in the economic development of their countries of origin.
Courtesy: PTI
