Syllabus: International Relations
Source: Indiaspora
Context: A BCG and Indiaspora report highlights that, despite being only 1.5% of the U.S. population, Indian Americans have made significant contributions to American society.
The United States has a four million-plus strong Indian diaspora, the second-largest immigrant group in the US. The high-achieving Indian Americans have gained attention like never before.
Contributions:
| Category | Contributions |
| Economic Impact | CEOs of Indian origin head 16 Fortune 500 companies. |
| Notable leaders: Satya Nadella (Microsoft), Shantanu Narayen (Adobe). | |
| Cultural Influence | Diwali and Holi widely celebrated. |
| Renowned chefs: Vikas Khanna. | |
| Wellness practices: Deepak Chopra. | |
| Innovation, Research, and Development | 13% of US scientific publications co-authored by Indian Americans. |
| Prominent figures: Har Gobind Khorana, Abhijit Banerjee, Manjul Bhargava. | |
| Government and Public Services | Kamala Harris: First woman Vice President of Indian descent. |
| Bobby Jindal: First Indian American Governor. |
Rise and significance of Indian diaspora in the U.S.:
- Presence and Dominance:
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- The Indian diaspora excels in politics, administration, entrepreneurship, technology, medicine, science, and academia.
- They are the most educated and highest-earning Asian group in the U.S.
- Skilled Labor:
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- Indian professionals, especially in IT and engineering, are crucial to U.S. businesses through the H-1B visa program.
- High-profile figures like Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, and Parag Agarwal enhance India’s reputation as a tech powerhouse and a source of top talent.
Impact:
- Changed perceptions: The success of the Indian-American community has significantly changed the U.S. perception of Indians and India. E.g., As part of “soft diplomacy,” Indian-Americans played a pivotal role in the fructification of the historic Indo-US nuclear deal in 2005.
- Strengthened the India-US relationship: The fifth largest economy in the world, India today, is seen in the US as a strong bilateral partner sharing common democratic values.
- Economic: The U.S. is the top remittance source ($26B of $113B in 2022-2023).
- Brain Gain: ~20% of Indian unicorns have U.S.-educated co-founders, e.g., Rahul Chari (PhonePe), Harsh Jain and Bhavin Seth (Dream11).
- Political: Effective diplomacy and lobbying, e.g., Indo-US civil nuclear deal.
- Cultural Diplomacy & Soft Power: 1 in 10 Americans practices yoga (2023); Spread of Indian cuisine and Ayurveda.
- Indo-US Scientific Collaboration: Projects like NISAR and iCET.
Conclusion
The uncompromisable role of the Indian-American community has become inevitable to the all-round development of the US, and this has significantly transformed the perceptions of and dealings with India.
Insta Link:
Mains Link: UPSC 2017
Indian Diaspora has an important role to play in Southeast Asian countries’ economies and societies. Appraise the role of the Indian Diaspora in Southeast Asia in this context.
