The Indian diaspora has grown and become more influential in the past 2 decades. India now has the world’s largest diaspora, a new study on international migration by the United Nations has reported. More than 30 million persons of Indian origin live abroad, a number greater than the combined populations of Zimbabwe and Kuwait. 285 people of Indian origin in various positions of leadership such as Heads of state and governments, senators, state leaders and members of parliaments.

The swiftly growing diaspora is an asset to India. The common perception of NRIs and Diaspora is that they are a product of brain-drain, migrants due to better life conditions in developed countries etc. However, in reality they are a boon to India. Their presence length and breadth varies across the countries of the world.

• High Achievers:
  • From Google CEO Sundar Pichai to Nobel laurete scientist Har Gobind Khorana and Microsoft CEO Sathya Nadella to world’s one among the leading music conductors Zubin Mehta, the list of NRIs and their contribution to the world goes endlessly.
• Influential Positions:
  • A diaspora estimated at over 30 million people fills mainstream roles and responsibilities in their adopted countries, helping shape the destiny of these countries.
  • The President of Singapore, Governor-General of New Zealand and prime ministers of Mauritius and Trinidad and Tobago were all of Indian descent.
• Pressure groups:
  • When people of Indian origin are held in high esteem, respect for and understanding of the country go up.
  • The influential Indian diaspora affects not just the popular attitude, but also government policies in countries where they live, to the benefit of India.
  • India benefits tremendously through these people in luring large multinational companies as well as entrepreneurial ventures.
  • Example: lobbying for the US-India Civilian Nuclear Agreement Bill in 2008
• Entrepreneurs across globe:
  • Between 1995 and 2005, over a quarter of immigrant-founded engineering and IT companies in the United States were started by Indians, according to a study by Duke University and the University of California.
  • And Indian expats owned an estimated 35 per cent of the country’s hotels. About 800 companies are owned by Indians in the UK.
  • These help in providing jobs and livelihoods to many people across world.
• Remittances:
  • A World Bank report released last year said, India was the largest remittance-receiving country in the world, with an estimated $69 billion in 2015.
• Soft Power:
  • The spread of Yoga, Ayurveda, Indian spiritualism, Bollywood, Indian cuisine across the world has made India famous.
  • It has even led to revival of many lost relationships with many countries.
  • Example: Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan and Middle Eastern countries.
• Humanitarian Assistance:
  • There are many instances where diaspora has stood up for their Indian kins in times of disaster.
  • Example: during the recent Kerala floods, immense help in the form of men, material and money from diaspora was given. Indian diaspora residing in China’s Shanghai has contributed Rs. 32.13 lakh to the Chief Minister’s distress relief fund for Kerala floods.

Asset in Disguise:

• The Diaspora population bring technical and domain expertise to domestic start-ups and often act as angel investors.
• Diaspora Indian faculty abroad volunteer time and resources to help faculty on Indian campuses improve the quality of education — as in the case of member institutions of the Indo Universal Collaboration of Engineering Education.
• This was reflected in advancing projects whether through government arrangements or private commercial deals related to Make in India, Skill India, Digital India, Start Up India as well as those aimed at improving our infrastructure and transportation links and fostering all round sustainable development in urban or energy sectors.
• The diaspora can step up and act as Indian ‘ambassadors’, as it is insufficient and ineffective for a country or its missions abroad to rely only on press releases to change public opinion.
• The diaspora can provide the requisite strategic impulse, which makes it all the more important to unlock their potential.

Conclusion:

 In recent times, the government has laid a strong foundation by making diplomacy people-centric with government’s constant interaction with the Indian diaspora. The Indian diaspora is the bridge between their nation and India where they can grow simultaneously for betterment of their citizens. The diaspora can provide the requisite strategic impulse, which makes it all the more important to unlock their potential.