NEW DELHI — Indians in the Gulf and other locations with concentrations of the diaspora will be able to connect with Indian embassies in their countries of residence and the foreign ministry in New Delhi via a new app in the new year.

This follows the launch here on Wednesday of the "Global Pravasi Rishta" portal to link the Indian diaspora across the world, whose number is estimated at nearly 31 million. The name of the portal in Hindi means Global Diaspora Relations portal.

Launching the portal and app, India's junior foreign minister V. Muraleedharan said: "The Indian government recognizes the importance of the diaspora and has been engaging with them in various ways." But so far, there has been no effective communication channel to connect with the entire diaspora worldwide.

The new facility will enable three-way communication between the foreign ministry, Indian diplomatic missions abroad, and the diaspora, he said. "The portal will have the ability to issue emergency alerts and advisories. It will assist in any crisis management and lend a helping hand to the non-resident Indians (NRIs) and persons of Indian origin (PIOs)."

Indians in the Gulf can access the portal through the web address http://pravasirishta.gov.in/home then select their country of residence as well as the Indian mission there, then press "submit." This will open up a range of options such as consular access, Indian community affairs in that country, and events of interest.

There is a notice board with information and a newsletter with subjects of interest to NRIs and PIOs. "The dynamic nature of the portal and the app will also allow us to take useful opinions of our diaspora on policy issues," Muraleedharan said. — WAM