The Indian Diaspora: A Source of Pride for India | UPSC International Relations

The Indian Diaspora is a group of people from different economic and social classes living away from their homeland due to some reasons. Today we will be discussing in detail about Indian Diaspora along with some important points as well. 

The term Diaspora is derived from the Greek word “diaspeirein” which in short means dispersion. It simply means a person belonging to a particular country is residing outside their homeland for some reason. In our country, this term is generalized to Non-Resident Indians(NRIs), Persons of Indian Origin(PIOs), and Overseas Citizens of India(OCI). In 2015 PIO and OCI card holders were merged into one. 

The Indian migration began in huge numbers during the British rule as laborers in places like Kenya, Malaysia, and Fiji. The same process continued during the post-independence period, during this period people started moving out to countries like the United States, and the United Kingdom, and Gulf Countries like Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and others. 

The Indian Diaspora has benefited in major aspects most of the Indians are educated and they worked in top companies across the world which helped in the economic front of other countries. Many Indian people have also held top political positions in many countries which helped in major deals between India and other countries. 

The stats made in 2020 reveal that India is the country with the largest Diaspora. The UAE is the largest country that has hosted Indian Diaspora. But still, India had problems with countries in terms of foreign funding, coming from abroad and separatist movements which lead to negative impacts as well. 

But on the positive side, we can see this is a bridge between the countries to get access to the market, expertise, knowledge, and technology. This connection allows the home countries to understand what they need for their fellow residents, establish certain institutions and conduct programs and activities which will help our country to develop more in various aspects. 

So this is all about the Indian Diaspora and some important points. It is important to remember the Diasporas are the links between the home and the host countries. They build cultural, social, and economic interests which will be beneficial for both countries in terms of exchanging skills, ideas, and knowledge.

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