Is India’s Gift to the World a Loss for India?

The Indian Diaspora

There is nothing illusory about the impact that ethnic Indians have made around the world whether they remain in India or have immigrated to other countries

The Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) released its report, International Migration 2020 Highlights last week, stating that 18 million persons of Indian ethnicity were scattered among the countries of the world. Almost half of that diaspora, the largest in the world, is concentrated in three countries: United Arab Emirates (3.5 million), the United States of America (2.7 million) and Saudi Arabia (2.5 million). The Indian diaspora dwarfs the diaspora populations of the next four largest emigrant ethnic groups: Mexico and Russia (11 million each), China (10 million) and Syria (8 million).

Considering that India’s population is now somewhere between 1.3 and 1.4 billion, and in 1965 just butted up against the 500 million mark, that 18-million number is a paltry one. Oh, but what an impact it has had around the world.

As I write this article, I have in mind that I was asked to write about why Indians seem to do better outside India. My reaction was that Indians, at least the successful ones, seem to do quite well in India too. But, of course, with a population of 1.3 to 1.4 billion, it is to be expected that even if one million are outstanding, that leaves 1.2 to 1.3 billion seemingly unsuccessful.

In contrast, even 100,000 highly successful persons of Indian origin out of a total of 18 million over a long span of time can suggest a disproportionate impact.

But then there is nothing illusory about the impact that ethnic Indians have made around the world whether they remain in India or have immigrated to other countries.

Why do many Indians tend to succeed when they leave India and establish themselves in other countries? The answer has some speculative content and there is what seems obvious but is ultimately anecdotal.

First, one must consider that it takes a considerable tolerance for risk and a spirit of adventure for a person to leave his or her country and venture overseas. Certainly, this was true of the Indians who went to East Africa a century ago and those who went to Middle East, particularly Gulf, nations in more recent times.

Second, one must consider that many Indians who have emigrated have been well educated and destined to succeed whether they were trained as doctors, engineers, management trainees, consultants or financial advisors.

Third, there is perseverance and risk-taking. Regardless of which country one looks to, there are examples of Indians who have established themselves as hard-working and entrepreneurial people, providing services or merchandise day in and day out.

Fourth, one must consider luck and the culture into which Indians have found themselves transplanted. Where the culture values and is accepting of talent regardless of the colour of one’s skin, Indians have prospered.

The real world effects are eye-opening.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, and the Home Minister of the UK, Priti Patel, are both of Indian descent. That may be more remarkable than the fact that the Vice President of the U.S., a heartbeat away from the presidency, is a woman whose mother was a native of Tamil Nadu.

Here in Mauritius, distinguished Prime Ministers of Indian descent, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, Dr Navin Ramgoolam, and Pravind Jugnauth, have served the nation well.

Evidence that the culture can value and accept talent is most markedly found in the U.S. where CEOs of fifteen or more Fortune 500 companies are of Indian origin. Without denigrating any of the CEOs for lack of mention (the list is long) the most notable are Satya Nadella of Microsoft, Sundar Pichai of Google, Arvind Krishna of IBM, and Ajaypal Bhanga of Mastercard. One must not ignore an early leader of the pack, Indra Nooyi, former chairperson and chief executive officer of PepsiCo, a distinguished achievement for a woman.

In Britain, two of the Hinduja brothers are among the wealthiest in England as is Jasminder Singh of the Edwardian Hotels chain.

Anecdotal accounts of the impact that Indians have made in the US are staggering. It is estimated by some sources that the Patels own 80-90% of small motels across the nation. Similarly, Indians make up a large number of cab drivers in New York City and invariably end up staffing the news kiosks and convenience stores. Clearly, Indians gravitate to cash businesses.

In the US, the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin estimates that about 80,000 physicians or 8.5% of all doctors in the US are of Indian origin.

The Surgeon General of the US, a mostly ceremonial post, is of Indian origin. Perhaps Sanjay Gupta, the CNN medical consultant is better known than Vivek Murthy or Ashish Jha who pontificates on the pandemic. But clearly, Indians are a presence.

Aside from these examples, there are countless software engineers, financial advisors, nurses, lawyers, and business people of Indian origin who make an impact throughout the world. Whether it is in Singapore, Australia, the Gulf nations, Britain, Europe, Africa, or elsewhere, Indians have a marked impact on the world.

The 18 million around the world represent a tiny fraction of Indian talent.

One wonders what India might be if it could harness all this talent and put it to productive use.

* Published in print edition on 2 November 2021