Non-resident Indians (NRIs) living in the US will adopt 500 villages in India as part of their effort to develop the rural areas of the country. A formal announcement in this regard would be made during the ‘Big Ideas for Better India’ conference in Silicon Valley on July 1.
Organised by the Overseas Volunteer for Better India (OVBI), spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will give the keynote address at the event which is expected to be attended by over 1,000 influential NRI leaders, a statement said on Monday. These 500 villages have been selected based on the highest farmers suicide rates, high unemployment rates and need immediate support, said OVBI president Satej Chaudhary.
“We are bringing together geoscientists, agricultural experts and entrepreneurs to help double the income of farmers by 2022,” he said.
The event will address the most challenging problems being faced by India in agriculture, governance and human trafficking. Last year OVBI had organised a water summit and successfully connected many specialists from US with the Art of Living ground team working on the river rejuvenation projects.