Indian diaspora the world's biggest at 35.4 million

The world’s largest diaspora is now made up of Indians at 35.4 million globally, the Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, has said.

This figure constitutes 15.9 million Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and 19.5 million Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), the Minister said in a written answer placed on the table of the Lok Sabha, the lower House of Parliament.

NRIs are Indian passport-holders, who are employed abroad or doing business overseas, the majority of them in the Gulf region.

PIOs are Indians who have renounced their Indian citizenship and are naturalised as citizens of another country.

Margherita was asked by Members of Parliament to furnish details of the “role played by the Indian diaspora in fostering economic and cultural connections between India and the regions across the world.”

He said in reply that in recent years, the Indian government had brought about a “transformational change” in its engagement with the Indian diaspora.

“The 35.4 million-strong Overseas Indian community is an invaluable partner in the progress of India. The Indian diaspora bolsters economic and cultural connections, among others, by significantly contributing through remittances, trade, investments, cultural exchanges, transfer of expertise and knowledge thereby acting as a bridge to further India’s growth,” the Minister said.

“A successful, prosperous, and influential diaspora is an asset. India stands to gain a lot from tapping its diaspora networks and productive utilisation of the soft power that comes from having such a flourishing diaspora,” Margherita’s reply concluded.