Former prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago Basdeo Panday will lead the country's delegation to the second Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, which will open in New Delhi on Friday.

Panday will address the three-day conference of Indian Diaspora, which is likely to attract over 2,000 foreign delegates representing 62 countries and over 1,000 Indians.

A Trinidad and Tobago cultural delegation will serenade Indians with 'chutney' and 'calypso' during the event.

Star-performer Rikki Jai, who will be accompanied by Drupatie Ramgoonai and Nadia Madhoo, hope to 'give the Indian people a taste of Trinidad and Tobago's culture and lifestyles' with a series of performances in the country.

"I am certain that this will be a landmark sojourn in the land of my forefathers. And don't be surprised to see Indians by the planeloads coming to our carnival and chutney fetes," Jai said.

After the conference, the group will perform in Lucknow and Bihar, two states from where most of the immigrants arrived in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica and other Caribbean destinations.

Top Bollywood music director Anu Malik will also work with the team with the fusion of chutney, calypso and Indian film songs.

Describing the conference as 'the largest gathering of the global Indian family', Indian High Commissioner Virendra Gupta pointed out that Mahatma Gandhi returned to Indian from South Africa on January 9, 1915 and that is why it was chosen as Indian Diaspora Day.

"We, in India, feel a great attachment for Indians who live outside our country, and we just want to connect with the diasporic community," Gupta said.

Nobel Laureate Sir V S Naipaul and West Indian cricket icon Rohan Kanhai will also attend the conference, which will honour 10 distinguished members of Indian Diaspora.