THE INDIAN DIASPORA: Global Contributions, Challenges, & Government Initiatives

Indian Diaspora: Bridging Cultures, Building Networks and Shaping Global Dynamics

The term ‘Diaspora’ has a specific historical context. In recent times, it has emerged as a generic term to describe communities beyond the boundaries of their culture and nation-states (CARIM-India Research Report 2012/25). Just as the history of migration and the settlement of populations have changed, so has the concept of Diaspora. 

• With the impact of globalization there have been profound changes in the composition of local, regional and national cultural practices.
• Diaspora groups, capable of maintaining and investing in social, economic and political networks that span the globe, are of increasing relevance and interest to policy makers in home countries as well as host countries.
• In the last few decades, with increased networking, Diaspora has become an important determinant of foreign policy making. 
• This paradigm shift has led to new research dealing with the Diaspora.

Global Impact of the Indian Diaspora: Shaping Leadership, Economy, and Cultural Bonds Worldwide

• Global Presence: The Indian diaspora is not confined to a particular country but has extended to all around the globe. 
  • They have made the destination countries their homes; however their links to India still remain strong. 
  • Currently the Indian diaspora is around 31.3 million composed of People of Indian Origin or Overseas Citizen of India (PIOs/OCIs) and expatriate Indians (NRIs) living outside India (MEA estimates).
  • The top ten destination countries which account for the bulk of the diaspora population are USA, UAE, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, UK, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Canada and Kuwait.
• Leadership on the Global Stage: From Sundar Pichai to Parag Agarwal, from Rajeev Suri to Leena Nair, several luminaries are proof of Indian youth leadership on the global stage.
  •  Non Resident Unicorns (NRUs) building on India’s strength in IT and outsourcing, 
• 10 Trillion Dollar Economy: Finance Secretary T.V. Somanathan has said that the Indian diaspora could help the country become a 10 trillion dollar economy by 2030.
  • Addressing  ‘Indiaspora G20 Forum in New Delhi’, T.V. Somanathan spelt out a three-channel approach – flow of funds, trade and knowledge transfer – through which India could harness the resources of its wide diaspora.
  • The diaspora, in a larger sense, creates a connection between the producers and the consumers of the two countries – the mother country and the country of residence,
  • The Indian population in different countries creates demand for Indian goods in foreign lands, which results in a much larger trade relationship between the countries
  • The diaspora has valuable skills, experiences and contacts abroad through which they can transfer knowledge to the mother country. Literature suggests that Chile has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of this
• Diverse Roles by Diaspora: They hold esteemed positions, leading from the front in their respective spheres, be it political, economic, cultural, services, or technology.
• Living Root Bridges: Their role is not confined to historical and cultural ties only, and extends itself to the economic domain as well. 
  • They also try to  retain and to nurture an abiding bond and interest in staying connected with their roots and upholding their traditions, rites and rituals, culture, cuisine and language.
  • This has enabled them to build connections with their homeland that thrive and serve as ‘living root bridges’ (According to India Centre For Migration)

Prof. P C Jain’s Insights: Five Key Patterns of Indian Emigration

• Prof. P C Jain explained five broad patterns of Indian emigration.

Indian Diaspora: Diverse Migration Patterns and Contributing Factors

• There are common Factors that Contributed to the Emergence of Indian Diaspora

Global Impact of Indian Diaspora: Catalysts for Change in Leadership, Economy and Culture

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recognised the role of the Indian diaspora as a ‘strategic asset’ in the all round development of our country. 
  • He considered the Indian Diaspora as a valuable asset just like Jewish and Chinese Diaspora. 
• Religious Contribution: Swami Vivekananda made a memorable impact at the World’s Parliament  of Religion in the US in 1893 when he delivered a lecture on Hindu philosophy. 
  • Even before this, during the 17th century, missionaries and members of the British government working in India translated many sacred texts from Sanskrit into English, making their way to major parts of the world. 
  • Thus, Bhagavad Gita has become a favorite text worldwide especially in western countries.
  • The past thirty years has seen the rise of temple-based Hinduism in the world, especially in the USA.
  • As the number of followers of Hinduism increased they built temples dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, and the numerous other gods who are held in high regard.
  • Swaminarayan Akshardham is a Hindu mandir (temple) complex in Robbinsville, New Jersey, It is second biggest temple in the world outside the Asia
• Economic Contribution: Forex Reserves, and Technological Innovation
• Highest Remittance: The Indian economy has been a beneficiary of this dynamic and industrious diaspora. 
  • India currently receives the highest flow of remittances in the world at $ 108 billion in 2022, up by 24.6 per cent from a year ago.
  • These remittances have played a role in poverty reduction while changing consumption behaviour in rural areas (National Sample Survey Organisation data),
• Piled Up Forex Reserve: The Indian diaspora contributed substantially to the country’s forex reserves.
  • The country’s foreign exchange reserves are at $588 billion as of April 28, 2023.
  • Indians residing abroad hold deposits in Indian banks culminating to $ 136 billion at the end of February 2023
• Exports of Services: India’s exports of services which have demonstrated pandemic-proofing, rises by above 25 per cent per annum since 2020, and provided valuable support to the viability of the external sector.
• Global Capacity Centres (GCC) : India is home to about 40 percent of world’s Global Capacity Centres, and they are estimated to comprise 25 percent of overall IT services exports.
  • GCCs are also driving diversification, with firms in diverse sectors such as electronics, retail, automotive, banking and financial services, and hospitality, to name a few, setting up GCCs in India.
• Accelerated technological sector and Increased socio-economic development: Bengaluru, Gurugram, Pune and  Hyderabad as thriving Information Technology hubs that  house multinational companies (MNCs) like Amazon, Google, Facebook and Uber,
  •  These centers are also multiple Indian start-ups like Flipkart, Ola, and Swiggy. 
• Political Contribution: Indian Policy with respect to Indian diaspora has changed from non interference  to active engagement in their action, As a result the Indian diaspora has emerged as an important political constituency of support and influence in recent years. 
  • A Paradigm shift in the journey of the Indian diaspora engagement came in 2014 when the current incumbent Narendra Modi assumed office.
  • Large Public  Gatherings: It has been observed that PM Modi’s visit to foreign countries is marked by High-level, direct and personalised engagement in the form of large public gatherings with the diaspora.
    • PM Modi has undertaken more than 100 foreign trips to more than 60 countries since 2014 and addressed the gatherings from London to New York with huge response from the Diaspora.
    • The rallies and events are live-telecast to people of Indian origin across the globe including India to show them the growing stature of India on the world stage.
  • Domestic-International Political Continuum: Such mobilisation of the diaspora constitutes a domestic-international political continuum and helps the diaspora feel engaged and empowered and which the populist leader uses for grandstanding, legitimation and political capital.
    • Example: The Sikh diaspora carried out protest marches in several countries in support of the farmers’ movement during the protest against the farmers bill,  while the ones aligned with BJP and its sister organisations supported the Bills.
  • UNSC Membership: India’s permanent membership to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) can become a reality with support from the diaspora.
    • India has demonstrated its diplomatic influence with the reappointment of Justice Dalveer Bhandari to the International Court of Justice in November 2017, when it secured two-thirds of the votes at the UN.
    • India can protect its diaspora better once it attains a permanent seat in the UNSC, especially in situations where it can exercise its veto rights. 
  • High Political Offices: Apart from Rishi Sunak ( Prime Minister of UK), Several other Indian-origin world leaders hold high political status.
    • Kamala Devi Harris is the first woman and the first coloured Vice President of the USA.
    • Mohamed Irfaan Ali was born into a Muslim Indo-Guyanese family in Leonora, West Coast Demerara. He has been the ninth executive President of Guyana since 2020
    • Antonio Luis Santos da Costa has been the Prime Minister of Portugal since 2015 and is the 119th PM of the country.He is half Indian and half Portuguese.
    • Former police officer Chandrikapersad ‘Chan’ Santokhi has been the ninth President of Suriname since 2020. He was elected through an uncontested election.Santokhi was born to an Indo-Surinamese Hindu family in Lelydorp, Suriname.
    • Mauritian politician Pravind Kumar Jugnauth has held the Prime Minister post since 2017.Born into a Hindu family, Jugnauth’s ancestors are from Uttar Pradesh.
    • Leo Eric Varadkar has been serving as the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in Ireland since June 2020.
    • Pradeep Singh Roopun has been the seventh President of Mauritius since 2019.
  • Science Diplomacy: Initiatives like The Indus  Entrepreneurs (TIE) based in Silicon Valley have played a major role in the transfer of technology to the Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) sector in India and besides it assisted young technologists in managing the hi-tech business.
    • As India’s population expands over the coming decades, its people will continue to move overseas to find lucrative jobs.
    • In 2022 73% of America’s h-1b visas, which are given to skilled workers in “speciality occupations” such as computer scientists, were won by people born in India (The Economist Magazine).
  • RBI’s Deputy governor Michael Patra noted that over the years, India’s perceptions about the diaspora have also transformed from ‘brain drain’ to ‘brain gain’.
    • It is spurred by the contributions that Indians have made in various fields in the global arena, including information technology, entrepreneurship, international politics, medicine, arts and culture, with some of them becoming Nobel laureates.

Diaspora Dilemmas: Indian Diaspora Challenges and the Quest for Solutions

Together with the new hopes and expectations raised by the government, there are new fears and concerns among and about the overseas communities.

• Strategic Issues: The volatility in West Asia, together with the rise and fall in oil prices, and the war between Russia and Ukraine has caused fears of a massive return of Indian nationals, curtailing remittances and making demands on the job market.
• Go beyond Employer-Employee Mode: The Gulf countries will require foreign workers for some more time, but India’s relations with many of them remain in the employer-employee mode.
• No Precise Data: India does not have any precise data on the number of Indians in different parts of the world.
  • The amount of risks that Indians are capable of taking to get medical education is phenomenal. 
  • Whether it is in Ukraine, Yemen or Syria, Indians are discovered eking out an existence in difficult circumstances. 
• Adventurism Among the Youth: Even more serious is the suspicion that some Indians are traveling to the Islamic State areas either to join the jihad or to settle there in what is considered a Promised Land. 
  • Adventurism of this kind needs to be stopped.
  • We used to take pride in the fact that Indians never joined terrorist organisations, but the latest trends are very disturbing.
• Lagging Judicial Reforms: Members of the diaspora, however, expressed concerns about the current democratic functions in the country, with one singling out “lagging” judicial reforms. 
  • It was one of the reasons for not investing in the country.
• Other members raised issues of unequal labor representation and pay gap. 
• Lack Balanced growth: The diaspora members also requested the government of India to work towards a balanced growth of income among the population in India, ensuring each section of the society benefited from the growth.
• Renouncing of Indian Citizenship: According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), India has 3.12 million highly educated migrants. The number of Indians who gave up Indian citizenship has been increasing.
  • The average number of Indians giving up citizenship for the last 12 years from 2011 to 2022 is 138,620, which seems to be in line with the range of 120,000 to 140,000 each year.

Indian Diaspora Empowerment: Government Initiatives for Overseas Welfare and Collaboration

• The government initiatives towards the diaspora are two-pronged. 
  • For one, they cater to the needs of NRIs and OCIs by providing them with consular services, protection and conduct outreach activities to engage with them. 
  • At the same time, they create policies to encourage the diaspora to contribute to India’s growth through philanthropy, knowledge transfers, investments in innovation and assistance in other development projects.
• Grievances Redressal By India: Grievances are responded through various channels like calls, walk-ins, e-mails, social media, 24×7 Helplines and Open Houses.
• Madad Portal: Government of India has launched a new online portal: MADAD (‘MEA’ in Aid of Diaspora in Distress), a Consular Grievances Monitoring System.
  • As required, these issues are taken up with the employers and the host government as the case may be, for requisite action on priority basis.
    • If the issue pertains to the State Governments in India, then it is taken up with them for resolution.
• Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendras (PBSKs) have been set up at Dubai, Sharjah, Riyadh, Jeddah and Kuala Lumpur to provide assistance to Indian workers abroad.
  • Shelter homes for distressed Indian nationals have also been set up at some Missions/Posts.
• The eMigrate Portal: It is the electronic platform of the Government of India for automation of the emigration processes, in which all key stakeholders in the emigration lifecycle such as the Indian Missions, PGE, PoE, FEs, RAs, Emigrants and Insurance Agencies, etc. are electronically linked on a common platform.
• Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF):  Financial assistance to distressed Indians, if necessary, is provided through the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF).
  • Legal and financial assistance is also provided to distressed Indian women deserted/ harassed by their spouses.
• Missions/Posts by India: During emergency or crisis situations, our Missions/Posts abroad pro-actively help distressed /stranded Indian nationals in terms of providing food, shelter, medicine and return back to India.
  • Indians were brought back to India under various operations such as Vande Bharat Mission, Operation Devi Shakti, Operation Ganga and Operation Kaveri from countries around the world.
• Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas (PBD): The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated to recognise the contribution of the overseas Indian community towards the growth and development of India.
  •  January 9 was chosen for PBD as it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi, the ‘greatest Pravasi’, returned to India from South Africa and led its freedom struggle.
• Liberal and Transparent FDI Policy: schemes under Start-up India and Make in India projects; 
• The Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX): To carry out R&D for Indian defence and aerospace needs; 
• Special membership categories like the Overseas Citizens of India and Person of Indian Origin.
• Specific cultural and educational programmes that involve special services for diaspora youths.
• Institutional Support:  Further, leading Indian Industry Chambers like FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM are economically engaging with the Indian diaspora and have sought to establish strategies to increase investment opportunities in India.

Conclusion

• The dilemma for India is whether movements of Indians abroad for education or employment should be curbed. 
  • This will be against the spirit of freedom; but there should be at least an accurate count of Indians in different countries and projections should be made of future prospects.

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