External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said the country has started its journey of Vikashit Bharat with the younger generations shaping significant global changes, including innovations in artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, startups, and even cricket and chess.

Speaking during the inaugural ceremony of 18th edition of the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas in Odisha’s capital Bhubaneswar, Jaishankar added that young Indians today are succeeding in so many domains and it’s important that we recognise that.

The minister emphasised the importance of India’s diaspora, terming it as the “living bridge” that connects India to the world and said the country, as a major rising power, “has used, is using, and will continue to use its diaspora as a very important pathway of its globalisation and for its rise in the international order.”

Over 5,000 non-resident Indians (NRIs) from 50 countries have assembled in Bhubaneswar for the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas 2025. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the event on Thursday.