Why Millions of Indians Still Leave Home
The Question Nobody Wants to Ask
Every time an Indian becomes the CEO of a global technology company, the country celebrates.
When an Indian scientist leads cutting-edge research abroad, it becomes national news.
When overseas Indians occupy influential positions in politics, academia or business, they are often described as India’s greatest ambassadors.
There is every reason to feel proud.
But hidden beneath that celebration lies a question that is asked far less often.
Why did so many of them leave in the first place?
For decades, India’s conversation about the diaspora has focused on what migrants contribute after leaving.
Remittances.
Investments.
Global influence.
Soft power.
What it rarely examines is what their departure says about India itself.
Because before the diaspora became one of India’s greatest strategic assets, it was first the outcome of millions of individual decisions.
They concluded that their future lay somewhere else.
Understanding why that decision continues to be made—even as India becomes one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies—is essential to understanding the modern Indian diaspora.
The Celebration Often Begins Where the Story Actually Starts
Today, India proudly engages with a global diaspora of more than 35 million people, comprising nearly 15.85 million Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and 19.57 million Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs).
Institutions such as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrate the achievements of overseas Indians. Yet those celebrations rarely ask the more uncomfortable question of why so many of those achievements unfolded outside India in the first place.
These achievements are real.
But celebration alone can obscure an uncomfortable reality.
As one powerful observation notes,
“The loss to India of some of its most talented people must be counted, even as the country celebrates their incredible success and impact on the global stage.”
That sentence fundamentally changes how we should look at the diaspora.
Instead of asking only what India gains from overseas Indians, it also asks what India loses when some of its brightest minds decide to build their careers elsewhere.
The diaspora’s success and India’s domestic challenges are often two sides of the same story.
This Is Not India’s First Great Migration
This is not the first time India has witnessed large-scale outward migration.
During the colonial period, Girmitiya labourers and workers recruited under the Kangani system left India because poverty, colonial labour demands and limited opportunities left them with few alternatives.
Today’s migrants travel under entirely different circumstances. They are engineers instead of plantation workers, researchers instead of indentured labourers, entrepreneurs instead of contract labour.
Yet one question quietly links both eras.
What conditions at home continue to encourage Indians to seek opportunity elsewhere?
Migration Is Not Only About Attraction
Migration is usually explained through the language of opportunity.
People move because other countries offer higher salaries.
Better universities.
Superior research facilities.
More advanced industries.
Those factors matter.
But they tell only half the story.
Migration also begins with push factors.
People leave because they believe the opportunities available elsewhere exceed those available at home.
For India, one of the most significant structural push factors remains the limited availability of high-value economic opportunities capable of absorbing its expanding pool of highly skilled talent.
This does not mean India lacks opportunity.
It means the pace at which highly skilled professionals are being produced often exceeds the pace at which equally rewarding opportunities are being created.
The Indian diaspora is therefore not merely a product of global demand.
It is also a reflection of domestic conditions.
The World’s Largest Diaspora Did Not Emerge by Accident
India today has the largest overseas community in the world.
Globally, there were 167.7 million international migrant workers in 2022, representing around 4.7% of the world’s labour force.
Indian workers, professionals, researchers and students constitute one of the most significant contributors to that global movement.
Even as immigration policies become more restrictive across many developed countries, migration continues.
The international environment itself is changing. The era of relatively open globalisation is giving way to a more strategic world. India’s emphasis on Atmanirbhar Bharat increasingly coexists with destination countries pursuing more protectionist approaches, reflected in policies such as “America First.” For highly skilled professionals, migration is becoming simultaneously more valuable and more difficult.
The numbers illustrate the point.
In the year ending June 2025, Indian citizens accounted for the largest group of non-European long-term migrants to the United Kingdom, with 204,000 net migrants, while nearly 90,000 Indians also entered the UK on study-related visas.
Despite tighter visa regimes and growing political resistance to immigration, outward migration continues.
That suggests the structural forces driving migration remain extraordinarily powerful.
The Secession of the Successful
Perhaps the most thought-provoking idea emerging from recent research is a concept described as the “Secession of the Successful.”
The phrase sounds dramatic.
Its meaning is surprisingly simple.
When highly educated professionals repeatedly conclude that they can realise their ambitions more effectively outside their own country, they are doing more than changing employers.
They are choosing a different institutional environment.
Economists increasingly describe this phenomenon as institutional arbitrage—the movement of skilled individuals towards jurisdictions offering stronger institutions, more predictable governance and greater professional opportunities.
Migration therefore becomes more than a search for higher salaries.
It becomes a search for stronger institutions.
That helps explain why India’s fastest-growing sectors continue to produce globally competitive professionals who nevertheless choose careers abroad.
The issue is not simply income.
It is opportunity.
The Real Question Is Bigger Than Brain Drain
For decades, the phrase “brain drain” dominated discussions about migration.
That description is now incomplete.
Many overseas Indians remain deeply connected to India through investment, entrepreneurship, research collaboration and philanthropy.
Some return.
Others contribute from abroad throughout their careers.
Yet none of this changes the central question.
If India aspires to become Viksit Bharat, why does one of the world’s largest producers of skilled talent continue to send so much of that talent overseas?
Answering that question requires looking beyond migration itself.
It requires examining how India’s economy, institutions and development model shape the decisions of millions of individuals every year.
Because before the Indian diaspora became one of India’s greatest strategic assets, it was first a story about opportunity.
And that story is only beginning to unfold.vement is remarkable.
India today has the largest overseas community in the world.
Globally, there were 167.7 million international migrant workers in 2022, representing around 4.7% of the world’s labour force.
Indian workers, professionals, researchers and students constitute one of the most significant contributors to this global movement.
Even as immigration policies become more restrictive across many developed countries, the flow continues.
The international environment has also changed. The period of relatively open globalisation that encouraged skilled migration is giving way to a far more transactional world. India’s emphasis on Atmanirbhar Bharat increasingly coexists with destination countries pursuing policies such as “America First,” making migration simultaneously more necessary for many individuals and more difficult to achieve.
In the year ending June 2025, Indian citizens accounted for the largest group of non-European long-term migrants to the United Kingdom, with 204,000 net migrants.
Nearly 90,000 Indians also entered the UK during the same period on study-related visas.
These numbers reveal something important.
People are choosing to migrate despite increasingly difficult visa regimes, rising political resistance to immigration and growing uncertainty about long-term settlement.
That suggests the forces pushing migration remain extraordinarily powerful.
The Secession of the Successful
Perhaps the most thought-provoking idea emerging from recent research is a concept described as the “Secession of the Successful.”
The phrase sounds dramatic.
Its meaning is surprisingly simple.
When highly educated professionals repeatedly conclude that they can realise their ambitions more effectively outside their own country, they are doing more than changing employers.
They are choosing a different institutional environment.
They seek research ecosystems with greater funding.
Labour markets with stronger rewards for specialised skills.
Universities with better global networks.
Administrative systems that appear more predictable.
Professional environments where merit is perceived to translate more directly into opportunity.
Migration therefore becomes more than a search for higher salaries.
It becomes a search for stronger institutions.
This helps explain why India’s fastest-growing sectors continue to produce globally competitive professionals who nevertheless choose careers abroad.
The issue is not simply income.
It is opportunity.
The Real Question Is Bigger Than Brain Drain
For decades, the phrase “brain drain” dominated discussions about migration.
It suggested that India was simply losing talented individuals to richer countries.
That description is now incomplete.
Today’s migration is far more complex.
Many overseas Indians remain deeply connected to India through investment, entrepreneurship, research collaboration and philanthropy.
Some eventually return.
Others contribute from abroad throughout their careers.
Yet none of this changes the central question.
If India aspires to become Viksit Bharat, why does one of the world’s largest producers of skilled talent continue to send so much of that talent overseas?
Answering that question requires looking beyond migration itself.
It requires examining how India’s domestic economy, labour markets, institutions and development model shape the decisions of millions of individuals every year.
Because before the Indian diaspora became a global strategic asset, it was first a domestic economic story.
And that story is only beginning to unfold.
Can India Become a Global Talent Power Without Retaining Its Talent?
If migration were only about higher salaries, the story would be relatively simple.
Countries with higher incomes would attract workers.
Countries with lower incomes would lose them.
But the Indian diaspora has grown far beyond that explanation.
Many Indians who leave are not merely searching for better pay.
They are searching for environments where their ambitions can grow faster.
This is why economists increasingly describe modern migration not simply as the movement of labour, but as the movement of human capital.
People are not only exporting their skills.
They are choosing between institutions.
People Do Not Just Compare Salaries. They Compare Systems.
Imagine two equally talented engineers.
One begins a career in Bengaluru.
The other accepts an opportunity in California.
Initially, the salary difference may attract attention.
Over time, however, many other factors begin influencing their careers.
Access to research funding.
Ease of starting a business.
Professional networks.
Quality of universities.
Innovation ecosystems.
Legal predictability.
Availability of venture capital.
Career mobility.
Migration therefore becomes a comparison between entire systems rather than individual jobs.
This idea is sometimes described as institutional arbitrage —the movement of skilled individuals towards jurisdictions offering stronger institutions, more predictable governance and greater professional opportunity.
Highly skilled professionals naturally gravitate towards ecosystems where they believe their knowledge, creativity and ambition will generate the greatest returns.
The competition is therefore no longer simply between companies.
It is increasingly between countries.
India’s Development Challenge Is Different
This does not mean India is failing.
In many respects, the opposite is true.
India today produces one of the world’s largest pools of engineers, doctors, scientists, management graduates and technology professionals.
Its universities generate millions of graduates every year.
Its economy continues to expand.
Its startup ecosystem has grown rapidly.
Yet development creates a new challenge.
As aspirations rise, opportunities must expand at an equally rapid pace.
If high-quality employment, advanced research opportunities and globally competitive innovation ecosystems do not grow quickly enough, migration naturally becomes one of the ways through which skilled professionals pursue those ambitions.
Paradoxically, rapid development can therefore produce greater international mobility rather than less.
From Brain Drain to Brain Circulation
Fortunately, the story does not end with departure.
One of the biggest changes over the past two decades has been the emergence of what scholars call brain circulation.
Many overseas Indians no longer permanently disconnect from India.
Instead, they remain connected through multiple channels.
They invest in Indian startups.
Collaborate with Indian universities.
Mentor entrepreneurs.
Transfer technology.
Support research.
Build international business partnerships.
Some eventually return.
Others contribute while remaining overseas.
This explains why the Indian diaspora has gradually evolved from being viewed purely as a developmental loss to becoming an important national asset.
The challenge today is not simply retaining talent.
It is creating conditions where talent can move globally while continuing to strengthen India’s own economic and technological capabilities.
Can India Compete for Talent Instead of Exporting It?
This raises perhaps the most important policy question.
Should India’s objective be to stop migration?
Probably not.
Migration has always been part of human history.
Knowledge economies depend upon the global movement of ideas and skilled professionals.
The real challenge is different.
Can India become a country that talented people choose not only to leave—but also to return to, invest in and build within?
Achieving that requires much more than patriotic appeals.
It requires stronger universities.
Greater investment in research and development.
High-productivity industries.
Predictable regulatory institutions.
Globally competitive innovation ecosystems.
And labour markets capable of rewarding excellence.
In other words, reducing the structural push behind migration requires strengthening the domestic ecosystem rather than restricting international mobility.
A Strong Diaspora Cannot Substitute a Strong Domestic Economy
The remarkable success of overseas Indians should undoubtedly be celebrated.
They contribute to India’s economy through remittances.
They strengthen India’s global influence.
They connect India to international markets, technology and finance.
They are one of India’s greatest strategic advantages.
But a strong diaspora should never become an excuse for ignoring domestic structural challenges.
Every successful entrepreneur abroad also represents an entrepreneur who might have built that company in India under different institutional conditions.
Every globally recognised scientist reflects both India’s educational strength and the continuing challenge of retaining world-class research talent.
Celebration should therefore be accompanied by reflection.
The objective is not to reduce migration.
The objective is to reduce compelled migration—where talented individuals leave primarily because they believe their aspirations cannot be fully realised at home.
The Real Measure of Viksit Bharat
The discussion surrounding the Indian diaspora is often framed as a debate between brain drain and brain gain.
That distinction is becoming outdated.
The more relevant question today is whether India can build an ecosystem where global mobility becomes a matter of choice rather than necessity.
Because the success of the Indian diaspora ultimately reflects two equally important realities.
It demonstrates India’s extraordinary ability to produce globally competitive talent.
It also reminds us that producing talent and retaining opportunity are not always the same thing.
As India moves towards the ambition of Viksit Bharat, migration itself should not be viewed as either success or failure. In an interconnected world, talented people will always move across borders.
The more important question is whether India can become a country where global mobility is a matter of choice rather than necessity.
Can it build universities that rival the world’s best?
Research ecosystems that retain scientists?
Industries that reward innovation?
Institutions that convince talented people their greatest opportunities need not lie elsewhere?
The success of the Indian diaspora undoubtedly reflects India’s extraordinary human capital.
But it also raises one final question.
Can a developed India truly emerge if so much of its greatest talent still believes its biggest opportunities lie somewhere else?
Can India Become a Global Talent Power Without Retaining Its Talent?
If migration were only about higher salaries, the story would be relatively simple.
Countries with higher incomes would attract workers.
Countries with lower incomes would lose them.
But the Indian diaspora has grown far beyond that explanation.
Many Indians who leave are not merely searching for better pay.
They are searching for environments where their ambitions can grow faster.
They are not merely exporting their skills. They are choosing between institutional ecosystems.
People Do Not Just Compare Salaries. They Compare Systems.
Imagine two equally talented engineers.
One begins a career in Bengaluru.
The other accepts an opportunity in California.
Initially, the salary difference may attract attention.
Over time, however, many other factors begin shaping their careers.
Access to research funding.
Quality universities.
Innovation ecosystems.
Professional networks.
Ease of starting a business.
Availability of venture capital.
Legal predictability.
Career mobility.
Migration therefore becomes a comparison between entire systems rather than individual jobs.
Countries today compete not only for investment and technology, but also for talent. Universities, research institutions, innovation ecosystems and regulatory certainty have become strategic assets in attracting the world’s most skilled professionals.
The competition is therefore no longer simply between companies.
It is increasingly between countries.
India’s Development Challenge
This does not mean India is failing.
In many respects, the opposite is true.
India today produces one of the world’s largest pools of engineers, doctors, scientists, management graduates and technology professionals.
Its universities graduate millions every year, its economy continues to expand and its startup ecosystem has become one of the world’s largest.
Yet India’s greatest challenge is not producing talent.
It is producing enough world-class opportunities.
As aspirations rise, opportunities must expand at an equally rapid pace.
If high-quality employment, advanced research ecosystems and globally competitive innovation networks do not grow quickly enough, migration naturally becomes one of the ways through which skilled professionals pursue those ambitions.
Paradoxically, rapid development can therefore increase international mobility rather than reduce it.
From Brain Drain to Brain Circulation
Fortunately, the story does not end with departure.
One of the biggest changes over the past two decades has been the emergence of what scholars describe as brain circulation.
Many overseas Indians no longer permanently disconnect from India.
Instead, they remain connected through investment, entrepreneurship, research collaboration, philanthropy and technology transfer.
Some return.
Many contribute while continuing to live abroad.
This explains why the Indian diaspora has gradually evolved from being viewed purely as a developmental loss to becoming one of India’s greatest strategic assets.
Recent government initiatives increasingly seek to engage overseas Indians not merely as expatriates, but as long-term partners in India’s development.
The challenge today is therefore not simply retaining talent.
It is creating conditions where talent, knowledge, capital and innovation circulate back into India.
Can India Compete for Talent Instead of Exporting It?
This raises perhaps the most important policy question.
Should India’s objective be to stop migration?
Probably not.
Migration has always been part of human history.
Knowledge economies depend upon the global movement of people, ideas and innovation.
The real challenge is different.
Can India become a country that talented people choose not only to leave—but also to return to, invest in and build within?
Achieving that requires far more than patriotic appeals.
It requires stronger universities.
Greater investment in research and development.
High-productivity industries.
Predictable regulatory institutions.
Globally competitive innovation ecosystems.
And labour markets capable of rewarding excellence.
In other words, reducing the structural push behind migration requires strengthening India’s domestic ecosystem rather than restricting international mobility.
A Strong Diaspora Cannot Substitute a Strong Domestic Economy
The remarkable success of overseas Indians deserves celebration.
They contribute through remittances.
They strengthen India’s global influence.
They connect India to international markets, technology and finance.
They are one of India’s greatest strategic advantages.
But a strong diaspora should never become an excuse for ignoring domestic structural challenges.
Every successful entrepreneur abroad also represents an entrepreneur who might have built that company in India under different institutional conditions.
Every globally recognised scientist reflects both India’s educational strength and the continuing challenge of retaining world-class research talent.
The objective, therefore, is not to reduce migration.
It is to reduce compelled migration—where talented individuals leave primarily because they believe their aspirations cannot be fully realised at home.
The Question That Defines Viksit Bharat
The discussion surrounding the Indian diaspora is often framed as a debate between brain drain and brain gain.
That distinction is becoming outdated.
The more relevant question is whether India can build an ecosystem where global mobility becomes a matter of choice rather than necessity.
The success of the Indian diaspora reflects two equally important realities.
It demonstrates India’s extraordinary ability to produce globally competitive talent.
It also reminds us that producing talent and retaining opportunity are not always the same thing.
As India moves towards the ambition of Viksit Bharat, migration itself should not be viewed as either success or failure.
In an interconnected world, talented people will always move across borders.
The real question is whether India can build universities that rival the world’s best, research ecosystems that retain scientists, industries that reward innovation and institutions that convince talented people their greatest opportunities need not lie elsewhere.
The success of the Indian diaspora undoubtedly reflects India’s remarkable human capital.
It is a story India should celebrate.
But it also raises one final question.
Can a developed India truly emerge if one of its greatest global strengths continues to find its biggest opportunities somewhere else?