UK to host Indian diaspora event

London: The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) will host a special reception celebrating Britain’s Indian diaspora community on Oct 17.

The UK government reception will coincide with the first-ever Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (RPBD) event being hosted by the Indian High Commission in London.

It will be inaugurated by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj alongside UK foreign secretary Philip Hammond on Friday morning.

The reception in the evening will be held at the iconic Durbar Court of the FCO at the heart of the old India Office buildings in central London.

UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will present the first-ever UK-India Dadabhai Naoroji Awards to the 2014 winners.

“The Dadabhai Naoroji Awards celebrate individuals and their contribution to the UK-India relationship, and I was proud to launch them during my trade mission to India in August.

“I am really looking forward to meeting the winners, and hearing their inspirational stories,” Clegg said in reference to the new awards.

“The UK-India relationship is going from strength to strength, as I saw in August when I visited Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

“The Indian diaspora community is an integral part of British life, contributing to every aspect of our society and helping to strengthen ties between Britain and India,” he added.

British Prime Minister David Cameron’s UK Indian Diaspora Champion, Priti Patel, said: “I am immensely proud that the UK is home to such a talented and ambitious Indian diaspora. We are absolutely delighted that the UK — home to 1.5 million members of the global Indian diaspora — has been chosen as host nation for this first diaspora convention under the new Indian government.

“Building ties between our two great nations – the UK and India — isn’t just an activity for governments. Every member of the UK Indian diaspora community plays a part.

“This reception will celebrate their rich contribution both to the UK itself and to making the UK-India relationship even stronger.”

The Deputy Prime Minister launched the UK-India Dadabhai Naoroji Awards during his visit to India in August as a celebration of the work of individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to UK-India relations in the fields of education, commerce or culture.