Make in India, ease of doing business, all pervasive red tapism, emotional connect with NRIs, Girmitiya Indians et al. These issues and others dominated the agenda of the UP Pravasi Diwas on day 2 at Agra on Tuesday. During panel discussions among the NRIs and the bureaucrats, the former passionately suggested for branding Uttar Pradesh focussing on its soft power. They felt that ingredients like art, culture, music, literature, crafts, cuisine, handloom, textiles and religious heritage, pilgrimage centres etc. could attract investment and provide global markets to handicrafts and artisans. The NRIs appealed to the government to engage technocrats among them to play the facilitator and felt that they could contribute in the development of social and physical infrastructure of UP. “We do not want subsidy or concessions. The state agencies should work professionally to decide issues in a time-bound and transparent manner,’’ lamented an NRI, who has been struggling for three years to set up a research center in UP. The NRIs raised some tough questions about administrative inefficiency and inordinate delay in approval from agencies. The bureaucrats feebly tried to placate them assuring corrective measures to expedite pending matters and a portal for regular interaction. An NRI business man from Dubai, Abhimanyu Giri complained of negotiating investment with the UP government for the last three years without tangible result emerging. He was told to have patience as he has to work within Indian laws and work culture. Another NRI from Ravi Shankar wanted to know from the UP government as to what has been done to drive home the point of ease of doing business in UP. He pointed out, “In Dubai, it took me three days to open office and seven days in Tanzania. I struggled for a year to open an office in UP and ultimately shifted to Mumbai.’’ Born in Fiji and settled in Australia, Satish Chandra Rai, a third generation descendent of the then `girmitiya (migrant) labour taken by the British as plantation labour to Fiji, is keen to produce a film depicting the conspiracy by British colonial power for keeping the Girmitiya as slave forever and their long struggle for justice and identity. A designer settled in Italy, Roney Simon said, ``UP with its rich heritage is a treasure trove of handicrafts which can be maximised by applying international designs and trends. UP could emerge as a hub of craft tourism too. Italy has the world’s 47 percent heritage. But they have worked on it, preserved and invested in it. Now the Italian government is going to reconstruct a city of the Roman period.’’ Principal Secretary, Information, Navneet Sehgal told the panelists that the UP government will set up a design centre in the state to cater to the needs of artisans and the handicrafts industry. He informed that a proposal to set up Films Institute in UP is also being worked upon and announced that ‘Avadh Food Festival’ will be made an annual event to promote tourism.