NRIs & the Diaspora

Indians have migrated for centuries — indentured labourers to British colonies in the 1800s, Gulf workers from the 1970s, and IT professionals, doctors and academics to the West since the 1990s. Today the Indian diaspora numbers about 35.4 million across the globe, the largest of any nation. Remittances they send home grew from around $70 billion in 2014 to $129 billion in 2024 (a record ~$135 billion in FY25), keeping India the world's number-one recipient with roughly 14% of all global remittances.

Since India does not allow dual citizenship, the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card — introduced in 2005, with the older PIO card merged into it in 2015 — is the diaspora's key bond with home. It grants a lifelong, multiple-entry visa and near-parity with NRIs in economic, financial and educational matters; over 40 lakh have been issued. Recent updates have modernised it: relaxed re-issuance rules (2021), a move to a digital e-OCI card (2026), and eligibility widened to more generations of Indian-origin Tamils in Sri Lanka. The government also courts the diaspora through Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (9 January), the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards, the Know India Programme, and UPI links with the UAE and Singapore to make remittances cheaper.

India engages its diaspora through identity, rights and outreach. The OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card gives people of Indian origin lifelong visa-free entry and near-parity on property and business (though not voting). Events like Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, investment schemes and cultural diplomacy keep ties warm — because the diaspora sends home huge remittances, invests, and acts as a bridge for India's trade, technology and soft power abroad.

India has the world's largest diaspora (~35 million) and is the world's top recipient of remittances, taking in a record $135 billion in FY25 (and heading toward $140 billion) — more than any country ever, a major prop for the economy. The relationship keeps evolving — OCI is not full citizenship, and debates continue over voting rights, dual citizenship and protecting migrant workers in the Gulf. The opportunity is channelling diaspora wealth, skills and networks into India's growth.

The relationship keeps evolving — OCI is not full citizenship, and the next steps are easing remittance costs, protecting Gulf migrant workers' rights, and balancing openness to the diaspora with security.

Remittances ~$70 bn (2014) → ~$129 bn (2024); ~$135 bn FY25; world #1, ~14% of global. Diaspora ~35.4 million (largest). 40+ lakh OCI cards. NRI deposits via NRE/FCNR(B); RBI raised FCNR(B) ceilings in 2024. Sources: World Bank, RBI, MEA, MHA.