The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman is one of the most prestigious civilian awards for the non-residential Indians (NRIs). The award was constituted by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, in the year 2004 with a view to honour the exceptionally successful and meritorious Indians, residing in the foreign countries. The awardees receive the award mainly because of their extraordinary contribution to their respective field/profession and they receive it on the occasion of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. The President of India presents the award to the recipients. However, the Vice-President or the Prime Minister of India can also present the award. Apart from the non-residential Indians, a person of Indian origin or an organisation or institution established and run by the Non-Resident Indians or Persons of Indian Origin, can also get the award.

There are certain criteria for a person or an organisation to be eligible for receiving the award that include making significant contribution towards better understanding abroad of India and support to India`s causes and concerns in a tangible way; making significant contribution for the welfare of Diaspora; notable contribution in philanthropic and charitable work and for social and humanitarian causes in India and abroad; significant contribution in building closer links between India and its Diaspora in the economic, cultural and scientific fields; eminence in one`s field for outstanding work which has enhanced India`s prestige in the country of residence; and eminence in one`s skills which has enhanced India`s prestige in that country (for non-professional workers).

According to the rules and regulations set up for the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award, the recipients of the award can continue to be considered for Padma Awards and vice-e-versa, the Padma Awardees shall also be eligible for Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award. The Government of India presents the award to a maximum of 15 people, every year. The awardees receive a bilingual Sanad (certificate) with the seal of the President of India, a citation and a gold medallion, as part of the award. The award is given at a formal ceremony organised by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on 9th January, every year.

Different authorities in India and abroad make nominations of deserving persons, organizations or institutions, for the award. The authorities include the Heads of Indian Diplomatic Missions abroad, the Chairman of the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, the Prominent Overseas associations with nation-wide character as may be decided by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, and also the Awardees of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award. After getting the name of the nominees, a Committee of officers, constituted by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs shortlist the recommendations, with a view to facilitate the work of the Jury-cum-Awards Committee. The Jury-cum-Awards Committee consists the members like the Vice President of India, as the Chairman; the Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, as the Vice-Chairman; and the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary, and the Foreign Secretary, as the members. Apart from them, another five members are nominated by the Prime Minister and the Secretary, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, acts as the Member-Secretary of the Jury-cum-Awards Committee.

After getting the short listed nominees for the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award, the Jury-cum-Awards Committee submits the recommendation to the Prime Minister and President for approval. The Prime Minister and President of India give the final approval on the names of the award winners and the names are published in the Gazette of India prior to the day of presentation of the awards. The award is usually not given posthumously, except in some rare cases where the person had died within a year preceding the announcement of the awards. The president has the power of canceling the award, at any time.

Awardees for 2004

Country	Name	Description
Thailand	Dipak Jain	Dean, Kellogg School of Management
United States	late Kalpana Chawla	Astronaut
Zimbabwe	Justice Ahmed Moosa Ebrahim
Guyana	Bharrat Jagdeo	President of Guyana
Fiji	Mahendra Pal Chaudhry	Fmr. Prime Minister of Fiji
Kuwait	Dr. Marian Chisti
United Kingdom	Lord Meghnad Desai	Economist, Writer, Labour politician
United States	Narinder Singh Kapany
United States	Shashi Tharoor	Writer
New Zealand	Sukhi Turner	Fmr. Mayor of Dunedin, New Zealand

Awardees for 2005

Country	Name	Description
Hong Kong	M. Arunachalam	President, Asia Pacific India Chambers of Commerce
United States	Jagdish Bhagwati	Indian American economist
South Africa	Amina Cachalia	Women`s activist, politician
Tanzania	J.K. Chande	Chancellor, International Medical and Technological University, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Germany	Alokeranjan Dasgupta	Poet, philosopher, academic
South Africa	Ahmed Kathrada	South African anti-apartheid activist
United States	Sunil Khilnani	Political scientist, writer
Trinidad and Tobago	Basdeo Panday	Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
United Kingdom	Bhikhu Parekh	member, British House of Lords
United States	Sam Pitroda	Indian American entrepreneur and Indian communications policymaker
United Kingdom	Vikram Seth	Novelist and poet
United States	M. Night Shyamalan	Indian American film screenwriter, director and producer
Fiji	Vijay Singh	Indo-Fijian golfer
	Dr. Sant Singh Virmani	Rice scientist
United Arab Emirates	Yusuffali M.A.	Owner of EMKE Group (Abu Dhabi based Indian congleramate)

Awardees for 2006

Country	Name	Description
Thailand	Shivnath Rai Bajaj
Israel	Eliahu Bezale
Mauritius	Abdool Raouf Bundhun
Philippines	Pratima Kale
Saudi Arabia	Majid Uddin Kazi
Qatar	C.K. Menon
United Kingdom	Gulam Kaderbhai Noon
United States	Sudhir Parikh
Guyana	Yesu Persaud
Seychelles	V. Ramadoss
South Africa	Sisupal Rambharos
United States	Niranjan S. Shah
Hong Kong	Rusy M. Shroff
Réunion	Jean-Paul Virapoullé
United States	Fareed Zakaria	journalist, editor of Newsweek International

Awardees for 2007

Country	Name	Description	Field of Merit
United States	Gopal Raju	journalist, founder-editor India Abroad	Media
United Kingdom	Lord Diljit Rana	Hon. Consul Belfast, Managing Director Andras House	Business
Canada	Dave Sukhdip Singh Hayer		Public Affairs
United States	Dr. Madhavan Anirudhan	President Essen Nutrition	Business
South Africa	Billy Nair	Member of Parliament, ANC South Africa	Public Affairs
Kenya	Pheroze Nowrojee	Advocate, Human Rights Activist	Community Affairs
United States	Nirmal K. Sinha	Community Leader, Significant contribution to fostering friendship between India and USA	Community Affairs
Malaysia	Tan Sri Dato K.R. Somasundram	Executive Chairman, National Land Finance Co-operative Society	Public Affairs
Jamaica	Kenneth S. Benjamin	Founder and chairman of the Guardsman Group	Business
Germany	Sibabrata Roy	President Indo-German Society Hamburg, Promoter of Indian Culture in Germany	Community Affairs
United Arab Emirates	Syed M. Salahuddin	Managing Director, ETA-Ascon Group	Business
United Arab Emirates	Dr. Bavaguthu R. Shetty	Businessman Pharmaceuticals, Chairman Board of Governors Abu Dhabi Indian School	Business
Fiji	Sir Moti Tikaram	Justice, National President Fiji World Jurist Association	Public Affairs
Portugal	Dr. Abdool Magid Karim Vakil	President Comunidade Islamica de Lisboa	Business
United States	Dr. P. Jayaraman	Writer, Promoter of Hindi language and literature	Culture

Awardees for 2008

Country	Name	Description	Field of Merit
Bahrain	Dr. Ravi Pillai	Managing director Nasser Al Hajri Corporation	Business
Mauritius	Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam	Prime Minister Mauritius	Public Affairs
Australia	Neville Joseph Roach	Chairman of TCS-FNS
Japan	A. P. S. Mani	Founder and coordinator of Indian Community Activities in Tokyo
New Zealand	Judge Ajit Swaran Singh	District Judge in New Zealand
Saudi Arabia	Dr. Rafiudin Fazulbhoy	Founding member of the Indian school at Jeddah and the Indian Pilgrims` Welfare Forum
Sweden	Bicky Chakraborty	CEO Elite Hotels, Sweden
United Arab Emirates	Krishnamurthy Kumar	Founding governor of the Indian Business and Professional Council
United Kingdom	Lord Karan Bilimoria	Chancellor Thames Valley University
United States	Dr. Thomas Abraham	Founder chairman Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO Inc.)
United States	Joy Cherian	Commissioner at the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commmision
Trinidad and Tobago	National Council of Indian Culture	NGO dedicated to the promotion of Indian culture in Trinidad and Tobago