Indian Council of World Affairs

Concept Note

The Indian diaspora is not confined to a particular country but has extended to all the corners of the globe. They have made the destination countries their homes; however their links to India still remain strong. Their role is not confined to historical and cultural ties only, and extends itself to the economic domain as well. This has enabled them to build connections with their homeland that thrive and serve as ‘living root bridges’. This bridge, a product of centuries of migration extends to the far-off Caribbean Islands, to the Pacific Island of Fiji, to all the corners of South East Asia and Africa and to North America and Europe. Currently the Indian diaspora is around 31.3 million comprising 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 accounts for bulk of the diaspora population are USA, UAE, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, UK, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Canada and Kuwait.

Assigning values to sustaining these ties with the diaspora, the Government of India has established a comprehensive system of diaspora initiatives, both at the central as well as the state level. These range from large diaspora conventions like the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas (PBD), 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; specific cultural and educational programmes that involve special services for diaspora youths. Further, leading Indian Industry Chambers like FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM are economically engaging with Indian diaspora and have sought to establish strategies to increase investment opportunities in India.

The economic role of the Indian diaspora is most prominently visible through remittances that have augmented the income of recipient households and increased the amount of development finance. However, there is a need to strengthen this connect beyond the horizons of remittance transfers alone. The significance of diaspora community in connecting India with global networks of research and technology- vital factors in the development of knowledge economy needs to be leveraged. Further, their contribution in facilitating skill transfer, promoting trade and foreign direct investment and business opportunities via diaspora networks needs to be strengthened. As leading players in global transactions the Indian diaspora can play a significant role as an agent of change and economic development.

Against this backdrop, India Centre for Migration seeks to organize a virtual discussion on the theme of  ‘Living Root Bridges: Indian Diaspora and their Economic Contribution’ on 30th July 2020. The deliberations will focus on (but not limited to) certain key issues which are:

• Positioning diaspora as a resource: How can the potential of Indian diaspora be harnessed for India’s development?
• Scenario analysis and the impact assessment of diaspora policies.
• Developing measures to bridge the gap between diaspora policy and practice.
• Increasing opportunities to further economic connect by identifying emerging sectors that will benefit from diaspora engagement.
• Analysing the diaspora businesss networks that navigate the informal trade barriers and create business flows.
• Assessing the Indian diaspora’s role in diffusion of skills, technologies and knowledge.
• Fostering linkages among diaspora associations, centre and state governments.
• Areas of improvement and way forward.