Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre

Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre
Name	Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre
Formation	2007
Type	Public-private partnership
Headquarters	Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Location	India
Region served	Non-resident Indian community, Overseas Citizenship of India
Leader title	Chairperson

Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre

The Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre is a hybrid public-private institution established to act as an interface among Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Gujarat Government, diaspora organizations and private sector stakeholders. It functions as a node linking diasporic networks such as Non-resident Indian community, Person of Indian Origin, and institutions like the Reserve Bank of India and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development to facilitate investment, remittances, and welfare initiatives. The centre’s operations intersect with policy instruments from bodies such as the NITI Aayog, Ministry of External Affairs, and international frameworks involving International Organization for Migration and bilateral missions.

History

The initiative emerged following high-level dialogues among actors including the Prime Minister of India’s office, state executives from Gujarat, and diaspora leaders from diasporic hubs like London, New York City, Dubai, Singapore, and Toronto. Its origins trace to post-2000 efforts that involved commissions such as the High Level Committee on Indian Diaspora and legislative milestones including the promulgation of the Overseas Citizenship of India scheme. Early governance models referenced precedents like the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and public-private collaborations exemplified by the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency. Strategic events such as the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas conferences and bilateral trade summits in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar shaped its mandate.

Mission and Objectives

The centre aims to operationalize objectives promoted by entities including the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and development finance institutions like the Export-Import Bank of India. Core objectives align with fostering links between Non-resident Indian community investors, state governments such as Gujarat Government and Kerala, and multilateral partners such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Specific missions include facilitating diaspora investments in sectors championed by agencies like the Small Industries Development Bank of India and promoting welfare measures modeled on schemes supported by the National Human Rights Commission and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Services and Programs

The centre designs services comparable to facilitation platforms run by organizations like the Invest India and advisory bodies such as the Confederation of Indian Industry. Programmes have included investment facilitation akin to Make in India outreach, remittance advisory services that parallel functions of the Reserve Bank of India and State Bank of India, and welfare linkages referencing schemes administered by the Ministry of Labour and Employment and National Skill Development Corporation. It also partners with financial institutions like the HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Yes Bank for diaspora banking products, and collaborates with academic institutions such as the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and Gujarat National Law University for capacity building and research.

Organizational Structure and Governance

Governance arrangements reflect a tripartite structure involving representation from the Government of India, the Gujarat Government, and private-sector constituents including chambers like the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India. Leadership roles have intersected with officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, career diplomats from missions such as Embassy of India, Washington, D.C. and former executives from corporations like Tata Group and Adani Group. Advisory boards have featured members drawn from academia at institutions including the Jawaharlal Nehru University and think tanks such as the Observer Research Foundation and Centre for Policy Research. Compliance and audit functions liaise with regulators like the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and legal frameworks under the Companies Act, 2013.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding modalities combine public appropriations from ministries such as the Ministry of External Affairs and state allocations from the Gujarat Government with private sponsorships from conglomerates like Tata Consultancy Services and Mahindra Group. Project financing has tapped instruments available through development partners such as the World Bank and bilateral cooperation with missions including the High Commission of India, London and the Consulate General of India, New York. Strategic partnerships have been forged with enterprise facilitators such as Startup India, investment promotion agencies like Invest India, and international networks including the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin.

Impact and Criticism

Advocates cite measurable outcomes analogous to initiatives by Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and investment promotion campaigns of Make in India, noting increased diaspora engagement with state projects in Gujarat and enhanced remittance channeling via banks such as State Bank of India. Academic assessments from universities like the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and policy analyses by think tanks including the Centre for Policy Research document case studies of facilitation leading to venture establishment and philanthropic flows to institutions like the Tata Memorial Centre. Critics reference concerns raised in forums such as the Parliament of India and reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India about transparency, governance, and measurable additionality, drawing comparisons with debates over public-private models in initiatives like Special Economic Zones and debates around the Overseas Citizenship of India scheme. Civil society actors including Society for Participatory Research in Asia and media outlets such as The Hindu and Times of India have interrogated deliverables, while proponents point to collaborative projects with entities like the International Organization for Migration as evidence of cross-sector impact.

Category:Organizations based in Gujarat