Stressing that the fundamentals of the Indian economy remain strong despite the global economic downturn, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Thursday the country expects to achieve a growth rate of about 7 per cent this year, which will be among the highest in the world.

"We expect to achieve a growth rate of about seven per cent this year, which will be among the highest in the world. Much of India's growth is internally driven and I expect we can maintain a strong pace of growth in the coming years," he said, while inaugurating the seventh edition of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in Chennai.

The prime minister also said that India is actively involved in the meetings of the G-20 countries, which are deliberating on creating a new global financial structure.

"We need to ensure that any new architecture that emerges is suited to the new challenges and vulnerabilities facing the world economy and simultaneously it must be reflective of the changes that have taken place in the economic structure over the years.

"Countries like India have a right to be given their due place in the evolving scheme of things," Singh said.

The prime minister said India's rise is increasingly being regarded as an important dimension of the emerging international world order and 'our counsels on key global challenges are not just being heard, but are being actively sought'.

"And in this enterprise of changing the image of India, the overseas Indian community has played a magnificent role and I thank you for that," he said.

The prime minister announced that all overseas Indian citizenship card-holders who are qualified professionals -- doctors, dentists, pharmacists, engineers, architects, and chartered accountants -- will be able to practise in India.

"Further details to operationalise this benefit are being worked out. The Overseas Indian Citizenship Scheme, which we had announced in 2006, has elicited an overwhelming response," he said.

Singh also launched an initiative 'The Global Indian Knowledge Network', which will connect people of Indian origin from a variety of disciplines with users at the national, state and local levels in India.

"My hope is that the Network will facilitate transfer of knowledge and serve as a 'virtual think tank' to generate new ideas on issues such as development, education and health-care," he said.