Page 50 - EW November 2023

Cover Story

WHY ARE INDIANS SUCCEEDING

EVERYWHERE EXCEPT IN INDIA?

The spectacular rise of members of the Indian diaspora to
dizzying heights in business, politics, the academia and other
vocations and professions abroad, even as upward socio-
economic mobility in 21st century India remains an arduous
climb, raises the question: why do Indians succeed and thrive
the world over, except in their own country

Dilip Thakore

A CURIOUS PHENOMENON drain- ingly discredited media.

ing and debilitating the Indian
As a result, the Indian diaspora around the world has
grown to an estimated 32 million. And denied opportuni-
economy is somewhat belatedly re-
ceiving media, even if not official,
ties at home, its members have risen to prominent apex
positions in politics, business and academia in the Western
attention — the continuous tal-
ent and enterprise drain from the
country. According to the Inter-
oppressive rule over the Indian subcontinent, drained its
national Migration Report 2023 world, including imperial Great Britain which during its
wealth to accumulate the seed capital that fired the Indus-
published by OECD which attracted front page headlines in trial Revolution of Britain and the West.
the Times of India (October 24), contemporary India is the The spectacular rise of members of the Indian diaspora
world’s largest exporter of HNWI (high net worth individu- to dizzying heights in business, politics, the academy and
als) and skilled professionals to English-speaking OECD several other vocations and professions abroad, even as up-
countries. Between 2021 and this year, 3.61 lakh citizens ward socio-economic mobility in 21st century India remains
emigrated abroad. an arduous climb, if not an impossibility for the vast ma-
Nor is this a recent phenomenon. For the past seven de- jority of the native population, raises the question: why do
cades after India under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi Indians succeed and thrive the world over, except in their
wrested political freedom from nearly two centuries of ex- own country?
ploitative British rule, when free citizens should have awo- To be sure, there isn’t a shortage of supra-nationalists
ken to a new invigorating dawn of freedom, there’s been who will dispute the validity of this question. They will
a steady exodus of talent and human resource from India highlight the growth of GDP from $40 billion in 1947 to
which has been ignored — even celebrated — by the increas- $3.7 trillion currently; increase in the average lifespan of

50 EDUCATIONWORLD NOVEMBER 2023