India will quickly return to 9-10 percent growth: PM

New Delhi, Jan 7 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday told overseas Indians that India will quickly return to a sustained high growth path of 9-10 percent and sought new avenues of partnership with the diaspora.

He was speaking at the first meeting of the Prime Minister's Global Advisory Council of 16 eminent overseas Indians who between them represent different disciplines from across the world.

Manmohan Singh will formally inaugurate the the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) 2010, the annual conclave of the Indian diaspora, Friday.

"Prime Minister observed that he was confident that India would quickly return to sustained high growth path of 9-10 percent," a statement from the prime minister's office said.

The members of the advisory council told the prime minister that India and its overseas community can and should build "a strong, strategic and mutually beneficial partnership".

The prime minister stressed that he looked forward to sustained dialogue with the members of the council including through smaller steering groups focusing on specific areas, in opening new avenues of cooperation between the overseas Indian community and India.

The advisory council headed by Manmohan Singh comprises External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, T.K.A Nair and Overseas Indian Affairs Secretary A. Didar Singh.

Eminent Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) like Nobel Laureate Dr Amartya Sen, Prof Jagdish Bhagwati, Karan F. Bilimoria, Swadesh Chatterjee, Ela Gandhi, Rajat K. Gupta, Lord Khalid Hameed, Dr Renu Khator, Kishore Mahbubani, P.N.C Menon, L.N Mittal, Indra.K Nooyi, Vikram Pandit, C.K. Prahalad, Lord Bhiku Chotalal Parekh, Tan Sri Dato Ajit Singh, Neville Joseph Roach, Prof Srinivasa S.R. Varadhan, Yusuffal M.A. are also members of the council.