Curriculum The Indian Diaspora
The Indian Diaspora
The economics of Indians abroad: the world's largest diaspora, indentured labour history, Gulf workers and the kafala system, H-1B visas and IT, Indian-origin CEOs, students abroad, NRI deposits, diaspora giving, returnees building startups, OCI cards and the politics of immigration.
- The World's Largest Diaspora How many Indians and people of Indian origin live abroad, where they live, and why India has the world's largest diaspora. 📄 Read-aloud
- Indentured Labour: The Girmitiya Story How British colonial rule sent over a million Indians as indentured labourers to plantations in Mauritius, Fiji, the Caribbean and Africa after slavery ended. 📄 Read-aloud
- Gulf Workers and the Kafala System How millions of Indians work in Gulf countries under the kafala sponsorship system, the recruitment costs and risks they face, and recent reforms. 📄 Read-aloud
- H-1B Visas and Indian IT How the US H-1B visa became the main route for Indian tech workers, why Indians receive most H-1Bs, and how the 2025 100,000-dollar fee changed the calculation. 📄 Read-aloud
- Indian-Origin CEOs Why so many global companies are led by Indian-origin executives, from Google to Microsoft, and what explains this success. 📄 Read-aloud
- Indian Students Abroad How lakhs of Indian students study abroad each year, the money they spend, study-to-work pathways, and why destinations shifted after 2023. 📄 Read-aloud
- The Indian Diaspora: Checkpoint 1 Quick checkpoint - five questions on the diaspora, indentured labour, Gulf workers, H-1B visas and Indian-origin CEOs. 5 questions
- NRI Deposits and Investment How NRIs keep money in Indian bank accounts, invest in property and markets, and how India has tapped diaspora funds during crises. 📄 Read-aloud
- Diaspora Giving and Village Investment How Indians abroad fund schools, hospitals and temples in their home villages, how Gujarati and Punjabi communities transformed their regions, and limits of diaspora philanthropy. 📄 Read-aloud
- Returnees and Brain Circulation How Indian professionals returning from abroad helped build IT, startups and venture capital in India, and how "brain drain" became "brain circulation". 📄 Read-aloud
- OCI Cards and Dual Citizenship Debates How India's Overseas Citizenship of India card gives foreign citizens of Indian origin rights to live and work in India without dual citizenship, and the debates around it. 📄 Read-aloud
- Immigration Politics Abroad How tighter immigration rules in the US, UK, Canada and Australia after 2023 affect Indian migrants, students and remittances, and how India responds through mobility agreements. 📄 Read-aloud
- The Diaspora and India's Future How the diaspora can contribute to India's development through remittances, investment, skills and diplomacy, and a recap of the module. 📄 Read-aloud