 "PM Modi calls Indian diaspora country’s ‘strongest ambassadors’: Here’s why")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised the Indian diaspora as being India’s ‘strongest ambassadors.’
“Indian diaspora has always been the country’s strongest brand ambassadors. We understand diversity, it’s in our blood and culture,” Modi, who is on a three-day trip to the US, said.
The prime minister was addressing an event in New York’s famous Nassau Coliseum.
“You have connected India with America and America with India. Your skill, talent and commitment are unmatched,” Modi said. “I salute you all. For the world, AI stands for Artificial Intelligence. But I believe AI also represents the America-India spirit.”
Modi had a bilateral meet with US President Joe Biden and also attended the Quad Summit at his home in Delaware’s Wilmington.
He will address the Summit of Future at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on his final day in America.
Let’s take a look at some of the numbers behind the prime minister’s statement.
By the numbers
There are 15.85 million non-resident Indians (NRIs) around the world and 19.57 million people of Indian-origin.
India has the most immigrants abroad with 2.4 million in the US, 835,000 in the UK, 720,000 in Canada, and 579,000 in Australia.
Around 30 per cent of them went to the US before 2000, while half of the Indians in the US went there after 2010, as per Indian Express.
They live mainly in New York and California.
In 2022-2023, the US issued 73 per cent of its work visas, around 3,20,000, to Indians.
The US also has around 3.3 million people of Indian-origin.
“Both in terms of the global economy and their own purchasing power, the impact is substantial,” V N Balasubramanyam, an economics professor at Lancaster University, told BBC.
Taxes
Indian-Americans make up just 1.5 per cent of the population in the US.
However, they pay around six per cent of the US’ income tax.
That accounts for around $250 billion to $300 billion in revenue.
Fortune 500 companies
In Fortune 500 companies, there are 16 Indian-origin executives at the top.
This includes Sundar Pichai at Google, Nikesh Arora at Palo Alto Networks, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen.
These Fortune 500 companies generate $1 trillion in revenue and give work to around 2.7 million Americans.
Indian-Americans have founded 72 of the 650 unicorn firms in the US.
These companies are valued at $195 billion and employ over 55,000 people.
Hotels and convenience stores
Indian-Americans own around 60 per cent of all the hotels in the US.
These hotels generate around $700 billion in revenue and employ 40 lakh people.
Indian-Americans also own 35 to 40 per cent of convenience stores – which represent $350 billion to $500 billion in revenue.
Indian companies have invested around $40 billion in the US and created 43 million jobs.
Youth and median income
Indian-Americans, at a median age of 36, are younger than the rest of the country.
Indian immigrants are also wealthier than the US natives and other immigrant groups.
Indians have a median household income of around $150,000 per year.
Around 76 per cent of Indians work in professions related to business, science, art and management.
They are the highest-earning immigrant group in the US.
By comparison, the average US household’s median income is around half that at $75,000.
Chinese immigrants have a median household income of over $95,000.
Healthcare
One in 10 physicians in the US is now Indian-American.
They serve 30 per cent of the patients.
Charity
Indian-Americans are known for giving.
They have contributed around $1.5 to $2 billion to charity annually.
They have given around $3 billion to US colleges since 2008.
Academia
Of top 50 US colleges, 35 have Indians in positions of prominence.
In 1975, Indian-Americans received two per cent of all patents.
By 2019, that figure has jumped to double digits at 10 per cent.
In 2023, scientists of Indian-origin were awarded 11 per cent of all National Institutes of Health grants in 2023.
They also contributed to 13 per cent of scientific publications.
There are 22,000 Indian-origin faculty at US colleges and universities.
This works out to 2.6 per cent of all faculty.
There are around 270,000 Indian students in the US – around 25 per cent of students.
As per Indian Express, over 70 per cent of students were enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses in 2023.
Around 10 per cent were in business and management programmes.
Around 60 per cent are in graduate-level programmes.
Education
Around 80 per cent of the Indian immigrants above the age of schooling have a bachelor’s degree at the minimum.
That figure is at 50 per cent for Chinese immigrants and 30 per cent for the rest of the population.
An estimated 49 per cent of Indian immigrants have a graduate or professional degree.
That number is at 15 per cent for other groups and 13 per cent for natives.
Indians also comprise the second highest number of students enrolled in US institutes of higher learning.
Most employer-sponsored H1-B visas for high-skilled workers are given to Indians.
“In 2021, Indian immigrants tended to be younger than the overall foreign-born population but older than the US born. Their median age was 41 years old, compared to 47 for all immigrants and 37 for the native-born population. This is largely due to the high number of working-age adults: 80% of all Indian immigrants were aged 18 to 64, versus 77% of the overall foreign-born population and 59% of the native born,” the study stated.
Twenty-eight of the National Spelling Bee Champions since 2000 are of Indian-origin.
In politics
Two Indian-Americans – Vice-President Kamala Harris and Republican Nikki Haley – ran for US president in 2024.
Five Indian-Americans are currently serving in Congress.
Ro Khanna, Pramilla Jayapal, Shri Thanedar, Ami Bera and Raja Krishnamoorthi are collectively known as the ‘Samosa Caucus.’
Around 150 Indian Americans hold notable positions in the Biden-Harris administration.
India is popular in the US
India is also viewed far more favourably by the US public compared to other countries – particularly the China.
A recent Gallup survey quoted 84 per cent of respondents as saying they held a negative view of China.
Just 27 per cent said the same about India.
One in 10 US citizens were said to practice yoga in 2023.
There are 36,000 yoga studios in across the US.
UK
The Indian diaspora has also made a huge impact in the UK.
The Times of India quoted a 2021 census data of the UK as showing that, of all ethnic groups, Indians are the most well-educated and have among the highest representation of working professionals.
Those of Indian ethnicity also have the highest home ownership in England and Wales.
The survey showed 71 percent of the Indian ethnicity own their own homes.
Meanwhile, Indians and Chinese comprise 34 percent of professionals including doctors, teachers and lawyers in the UK.
Of all ethnic groups, Indians are the most well-educated and have among the highest representation of working professionals in the UK.
There are at least 19 people of Indian-origin in The House of Commons including Rishi Sunak now the former prime minister.
With inputs from agencies
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