‘Indian Diaspora has been the most important discourse in global affairs, as it is not only the largest diaspora in the world, but one that has proven to be a great political and economic force around the world. The US is home to the largest Indian Diaspora (4.5 million), followed by Saudi Arabia (4.1 million) out of 32 million Indians living outside their homeland’ said Dr Aslam Khan, Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Mahatma Gandhi Central University (India) in his interview to AzVision.az.

Dr Khan explained that the large population in India serves as the first reason behind the massive brain migration, especially in the fields of science, IT, education, and business.

‘They have a strong presence in these fields around the world. Economic reforms and globalization provided new opportunities for Indian youth to prove their intellectual capacity and expertise to get employed across sectors, such as science and IT.

Indian Americans have been holding top positions in the IT industry in the USA. Their high-influence jobs at Google, Microsoft, IBM, Deloitte, Adobe, etc. can vouch for the impact the Indian Diaspora has in the US. Both political parties in the States, the Republicans and Democrats, consider the Indian Diaspora a major force. Joe Biden’s appointment of Kamala Harris as his deputy is a clear pointer to the fact.

Some Indian Americans, such as Ro Khanna, Nikki Haley, and Vivek Ramaswamy, are currently considered the highlights of the upcoming 2024 presidential elections in the US. Indian Diaspora can be viewed as a major instrument in India’s soft power diplomacy and is acknowledged for its expertise in education, technology, and economy, as well as its peaceful coexistence with American society.

Indian Diaspora has proved to be a model not only for America but for the entire world. It has influenced policymaking in the US on several occasions, starting from sanctions for nuclear testing to the India-US nuclear agreement and strategic partnership between the two most powerful democracies of the world.

Realizing the significance of the Indian Diaspora, Indian politicians from Manmohan Singh to Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and running Prime Minister Narendra Modi have placed special emphasis on this factor. The expansion of yoga, ayurveda, Indian cinema and culture has greatly influenced Indo-US relations.

The International Day of Yoga, celebrated on 21 June across the world, for ‘global health, harmony, and peace’ is the perfect example of how Indian culture has spread and is recognized. Diwali Festival has been accepted as an official holiday in the State of Pennsylvania in the US.

The heads of state in countries, such as Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Fiji, and Mauritius are of Indian origin. British Indians are the largest ethnic minority in the UK and are employed in most top fields. Rishi Sunak’s’ rise to the post of Prime Minister in Great Britain is a unique and historical event in the politics of the UK.

15 MPs of Indian origin currently serve in the British Parliament. These are Gagan Mohindra, Claire Coutinho, Nadia Whittome, Navendu Mishra, Priti Patel, Alok Sharma, Sanjoy Sen and others. Indian Canadians are the second largest non-European ethnic group in the country and have a strong say in Canadian politics. Harjit Sajjan serves as the Minister of International Development, Navdeep Bains was the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Bardish Chagger was the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Youth, and Anita Anand is the current Minister of National Defence. And that is not to mention that Punjabi is the fourth language in Canada.

The presence of the Indian Diaspora in the Middle East has had a profound impact on the shift of India-Middle East relations. The Gulf countries are India’s largest trading partners. The UAE is home to the largest Indian Diaspora and the Gulf is the second largest import-export partner. The recently opened Hindu Temple in the UAE perfectly illustrates the growing influence of the Indian Diaspora. Overall, the skilled Indian Diaspora has left a mark in all corners of the world politically, economically, socially, and culturally’, Khan noted.

The Indian expert also elaborated on the contributions of the diaspora to the development of the country:

‘The World Bank Report reads that India receives around USD 100 billion yearly remittances. The country received the highest annual FDI (Foreign Direct Investments) of $84,835 million in the financial year 2021-22. The top investing countries are Singapore, Mauritius, the UAE, the USA, the Netherlands, and Japan, which have a great Indian presence. Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, called on the Indian Diaspora to consolidate efforts to grow India into the third largest economy globally and termed Indian citizens living overseas the Ambassadors of India.

Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, opened the first Apple Store in Mumbai, India, followed by a second in Delhi. The country signed the historic Comprehensive Partnership Agreement with the UAE in February 2022. The Saudi investment in India also fast-tracked in 2020-2022, growing to a whopping $3.15 billion.  Saudi Arabia is also interested in investing in energy, IT and Defence in the country. Qatar’s FDI in India amounts to almost $450 million and Qatar has recently opened a chair on Indian studies. At the same time, considering the largest Indian Diaspora, the FDI in India remains a challenge and in need of more attention, the expert concluded.

AzVision analytical group

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