Engaging the diaspora in India
Metka Hercog & Melissa Siegel
#2011-041
The Indian overseas communities are the result of different waves of
migration. Acknowledging that country's migration history and current
conditions of migrants influence these perceptions, this paper begins by
describing Indian migration from the early colonial period to the
present day and presents the current geography of diaspora with exposing
the main concentration areas. We then go on to lay out current policies
and institutions that shape Indian diaspora engagement. Special
attention is devoted to the set up of the Ministry of Overseas Indian
Affairs (MOIA), which serves as a single stop agency for any kind of
matters relating to overseas Indians and is meant as a focal point for
overseas Indians, immigrant organizations, as well as for trade,
industry and any other organization with stakes in overseas Indian
affairs. By setting up the MOIA in 2004 and dedicating suffient time and
resources for support of institutions, the Government of India declared
its long-term commitment to reach out to their migrants. Moreover, the
Indian government has signed a number of agreements for bilateral
cooperation with the main countries of destinations and takes an active
part in regional and global initiatives for migration management. India
has, in this way, already emerged as a leader in this field with one of
the most comprehensive state level diaspora engagement policies, which
makes India's institutional practices particularly interesting to
observe. The chapter summarizes with the discussion on the current
debates, pointing to the continuing renegotiation of diaspora's
involvement in the development of India.
Keywords: India, Diapora, Diaspora Engagement, Migration and Development