Are Smart Indians Leaving India? The Million Dollar Question, Will We Soon See More Indians in the World Than India Itself?

Donald Trump’s aide, Laura Loomer, might have described Indians as “Third World invaders,” but the world seems to be rolling out the red carpet—well, at least most of the world. Rich and smart Indians, who’ve emotionally seceded from their country for a while now, are packing up their bags, businesses, and families, and heading out to join an elite international club.

For these upwardly mobile elites, India is no longer home—it’s more like real estate, subject to high taxes and little in return. For them, the idea of living in India is starting to feel like standing too close to an urban volcano, one that’s ready to erupt at any moment. And when the going gets tough, the tough get going… straight to the West and the Middle East.

Let’s talk about some of the big names who’ve already packed their bags. Cricketer Virat Kohli and his wife, actor Anushka Sharma, have opted for a life beyond the Indian subcontinent with their kids in tow. Bollywood’s finest aren’t far behind. Sources confirm that top actors already own property in places like England, Singapore, and Dubai, visiting India only for work—and occasionally for a fleeting moment of leisure.
Meanwhile, the who’s who of corporate India are also taking the plunge. In fact, according to the Henley Private Wealth Migration Report 2024, India will see 4,300 millionaires pack up and leave by the end of this year, following 5,100 of them who made the move last year.

Irony strikes hard here—India is poised to become the world’s third-largest economy with a GDP of $5 trillion, yet the very people who are benefiting the most from this growth seem eager to escape. Their new addresses? A swanky list that includes the likes of Singapore, Dubai, London, and New York. And let’s be honest, it’s now almost trendy to brag about owning homes in exotic locations like the UAE, Thailand, Bali, and the south of France. Meanwhile, India’s cities, plagued by overcrowding and pollution, seem to be getting more attention for their woes than their potential.

Speaking of real estate, the priciest apartments in Mayfair, London, are now in the hands of Indians running telecoms, airlines, and steel plants in India. And let’s not forget how technology has made the world feel like one tiny global village. With high-speed internet and instant communication, Indians are running their businesses from anywhere—from Trump Tower in New York to a tech park in Singapore. Second homes in various cities abroad have become the perfect backdrop for review meetings, where senior executives are flown in from India in chartered flights, all while pretending not to notice the carbon footprint.

But there’s an even more concerning trend emerging- the rising number of Indians renouncing their citizenship. It’s no longer just about a change of address—it’s about disconnecting from their roots altogether. According to statistics shared by the External Affairs Minister in Parliament last year, over 16 lakh Indians have given up their citizenship since 2011. That number skyrocketed from just 85,256 to a staggering 2,25,620 in the past year. And where are they going? To 135 different countries, which speaks volumes about how desperate some are to escape India’s troubles.

The writing on the wall is hard to ignore—more and more Indians are leaving, and they’re not just heading for the next state over.

According to the Henley & Partners’ Private Wealth Migration Report 2023, China is set to lose the most millionaires in 2023, with 6,500 expected to leave. But don’t get too comfortable, India’s not far behind. In 2022, India saw a drop of 7,500 millionaires, ranking second after China in terms of wealthy people leaving.

So, where are the majority of these millionaires heading? Well, Australia seems to be a hot favorite for the rich in 2023, thanks to its welcoming immigration policies, excellent healthcare, good weather, and overall safety. The UAE is also on the list, with around 4,500 millionaires expected to move there, lured by low taxes, safety, and luxury options.

It’s one thing for the most populous country in the world to export talent, but one has to wonder—could this migration be holding back India’s innovation capacity? Is this outflow of talent dampening our economic growth? Something to chew on.

Now, let’s talk about why this exodus is happening. It’s not just about higher salaries—though let’s face it, who doesn’t like a bigger paycheck? It’s about the whole package. Affluent Indian families are looking for better rewards for their hard work, and a major factor in this is the social safety net (or lack thereof) in India. While the government has made strides in primary education, higher education remains a tricky issue. Sure, we have stellar institutions like the IITs and IIMs, but none of them make it to the top global rankings. So, many students are opting for foreign degrees—expensive ones, mind you—but they attract hundreds of thousands of Indian students each year.

This brings us to another trend: the rise of investment-based citizenship schemes. Caribbean nations like Antigua and Barbuda, Spain, and the UAE offer these “golden visas,” where wealthy individuals can buy citizenship by making significant investments. It’s become a thriving industry in India, with advisory firms popping up everywhere, helping young entrepreneurs find their perfect home abroad—along with a profitable business that comes with minimal hassle. These firms have cleverly worked the system, making it easier for Indians to invest abroad, despite India’s attractive “ease of doing business” reforms.

In fact, under these liberal schemes, each Indian can remit up to $250,000 annually to invest anywhere in the world. The catch? These schemes have outpaced India’s efforts to keep its best and brightest within the country.

Let’s talk about the stuff that really makes people pack their bags—social security and quality of life. If you’ve ever wondered why so many highly skilled Indians are heading abroad, the answer is right in front of you. Better roads, better hospitals, better schools, and yes, better gender equality.

Let’s start with gender equality. According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2023, India ranks 127th out of 146 nations in terms of gender parity. That’s a slight improvement from 135th last year, but don’t start popping champagne just yet. While the gender gap has reduced by 64.3%, calling this a reason to celebrate might be a bit of a stretch.

India still scores less than 40% in economic participation and opportunity parity. In simple terms, men and women don’t have equal access to jobs and opportunities. Sure, salary and income parity are improving, but when it comes to women in technical and senior positions, the numbers are actually going down.

The bottom line? Highly skilled women are choosing to pack up and move abroad, with no plans of coming back. Gender disparity in education, workforce participation, and income levels within the system is a huge push factor. And that’s a neglected aspect of India’s brain drain.

Now, let’s talk about why India’s economic growth of 6.5% annually doesn’t seem to be making much of a difference in the lives of its citizens.

India’s made huge strides in infrastructure—over 100,000 kilometers of new national highways, more airports, new universities, medical colleges, research institutions, and startups. Yet, none of this seems to dent the desire to move out. You’d think with all these improvements, people would be staying put, right? Wrong.

So, why are people still leaving? It’s the civic infrastructure, or rather the lack of it. The breakdown of law and order in many cities, suffocating pollution, and the complex tax structure are all factors driving people away. And let’s not even get started on working from office. For many professionals, it’s turned into a nightmare.

India’s roads are a case study in chaos. Despite a liberal auto policy, India’s roads are choked. There are 21 crore two-wheelers and 7 crore four-wheelers on the streets, making it one car for every 10 adults. The average speed in any major city is a measly 5 km per hour. This overcrowding leads to a slew of social and health issues, from increased carbon emissions to road rage incidents.

So, despite the growing economy, the lack of basic quality of life factors is pushing Indians abroad. While a few lakh people leaving out of a population of 1.4 billion might not seem like a big deal, it’s bad optics for India. The exodus is real, and the reasons are pretty clear. Better quality of life and basic infrastructure abroad are just too tempting for many to ignore.

In cities across India, unauthorized construction and the encroachment of public spaces like parks, playfields, and even footpaths have made life unbearable for health-conscious citizens. Footpaths are now food markets, and despite court orders, the police have failed to implement basic regulations. And if you thought the noise from traffic was bad, try enduring the loud sermons and prayers from mosques and temples, with no decibel limits in place. Even the police can’t seem to get a handle on this.

The vision that Prime Minister Modi presented soon after taking office—encouraging cleanliness and a new mindset—has been undermined from within. While people have embraced cleanliness, municipal authorities are notably absent on the ground.

The real issue is that political leaders are more focused on protecting their vote banks than on ensuring good governance. As the battle for identity and entitlement dominates national politics, good governance has become a casualty. With a sluggish legal system and a complex tax structure, it’s no wonder that many aspirational Indians are finding India increasingly unlivable.

Now, let’s get to the core of the matter: brain drain. It’s not just about talented people leaving; it’s about the profound impact on India’s growth and innovation.

Highly skilled professionals, especially in fields like healthcare and technology, are migrating abroad, and this talent drain leaves India with a shortage of the very people it needs to grow. Worse still, these are the same professionals who contribute significantly to tax revenue, and their departure hurts the country’s economy. On top of that, many students head abroad for education, sending a considerable amount of money out of India each year. The situation has become a significant roadblock for India’s progress.

But wait—there’s more. The Indian diaspora is so large and influential that it’s changing the dynamics in foreign countries. For example, Justin Trudeau’s recent troubles with Canadian Punjabis are a reminder of how India’s issues from the 1980s Punjab conflict are now spilling over into global politics.

India’s influence abroad is growing to such an extent that you can land in cities like Heathrow, JFK, San Francisco, or Toronto and encounter an overwhelming presence of Indians in every corner—driving taxis, serving food, selling clothes, or even owning malls and hotels. The immigration wave is so large that some areas in Canada, like Brampton, have been humorously dubbed “Ludhiana” by social media users, showing the dominance of the Indian community there.

But with such a massive diaspora comes tension. Social media is full of videos of earlier generations of immigrants complaining about the newer generations, resulting in videos of Indians arguing with other Indians at coffee shops, gas stations, or even in the middle of a cricket match. Yes, cricket matches, where Indian fans often outnumber English or Australian fans 10 to 1, creating an atmosphere more reminiscent of Wankhede or Eden Gardens than a foreign stadium.

And yet, the headlines—”Indians shouted at by Canadians” or “US man abuses Indian family”—often hide the real story: it’s foreign Indians clashing with other foreign Indians in a global circus that we now dominate. In some ways, it’s comforting—everywhere feels like home.

So, the big question remains: as millions of Indians continue to leave, what’s the cost for India? The answer isn’t just in numbers—it’s in the lost potential, the diminished creativity, and the talent that’s walking out the door.

But back to the bigger picture: India’s young, skilled workforce is flocking abroad not just for better salaries, but for a better quality of life. While India’s economic growth may be soaring, it’s clear that the brightest minds are choosing greener pastures.

So, the million-dollar questions –

Are we witnessing the end of an era where India’s most successful minds choose to stay, build, and grow within its borders?

The trend is clear, the smart Indians, as it were, are increasingly looking beyond the subcontinent, and in the near future, we might just see more Indians scattered across the globe than residing in India itself.

More importantly, will we soon be talking about a “global India” with no central homeland?