War or no war, size matters, so also the riches! 18 million-strong Indian diaspora, largest in the world, never fails to amaze

On February 24, the Ukrainians woke up to the woes of sudden Russian invasion that opened with a fusillade of missile attacks that pounded a number of cities, which were left devastated in no time. The sudden blitzkrieg—the major war Europe has seen in decades—not only stunned the world but spoke volumes about the vulnerabilities of a former sufficiently-armed nuclear-powered nation.

Alongside, the invasion also exposed the helplessness of the Indian community in a foreign country.

More than 14,000 Indians, enrolled in Ukraine universities — the single largest group of foreign students in the country, had to bear the brunt of the brutal invasion.

According to reports, India has the largest diaspora community in the world. According to the UN’s International Migration report, 18 million Indians were living outside their country of birth in 2020.

Mexico and Russia (11 million each) and China (ten million population) who lived outside their countries are the nations which stood notches behind India.

The volume of the Indian diaspora grew by nearly 10 million, the largest in the world, in just two decades. It occurred between 2000 to 2020.

A good number of diaspora people live in the United Arab Emirates. Their number is 3.5 million in that country.

The United States of America (2.7 million), and Saudi Arabia (2.5 million) are two other sought-after destinations for Indians.

Besides, Australia, Canada, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, and the United Kingdom also host a significant number of Indians.

While a significant portion of India’s diaspora lives in the Middle East, Europe is home to the largest number of international migrants in the world (87 million). North America follows Europe by hosting nearly 59 million international migrants.

Reports suggest that Indian diaspora, the largest in the world, sends home the highest remittances.

According to estimates, remittance to the tune of $87 billion was sent to India in 2021, the highest for any diaspora community in the world.

According to the Bank report, the Chinese and Mexican diaspora sent $53 billion back home in the same year.

The Philippines diaspora that sent $36 billion back home became third in the category.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, a total of 18.7 million Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and 13.5 million Non-resident Indians (NRIs) reside in foreign countries as of December 25, 2021.

On February 4, the ministry assured measures to ensure the safety and security of Indians abroad.