The Role of Diasporas in Transnational Movements

Across the world, millions of people live far from the land where their families began, yet they carry that homeland with them in language, festivals, food, and a deep sense of belonging. These communities, known as diasporas, have become powerful actors in global politics. They sit at the heart of what scholars call transnational movements: flows of people, ideas, and culture that cross national borders and link societies together. Understanding diasporas helps explain how a single community can shape the politics of one country, the economy of another, and the cultural image of a third, all at the same time.

What is a diaspora? 🔗

The word “diaspora” comes from a Greek term meaning “to scatter” or “spread.” It was first used to describe the dispersion of the Jewish people away from their ancestral land. Over time, the meaning widened. Today a diaspora refers to a community that has migrated from its original homeland to one or more host countries while maintaining cultural, emotional, or social ties to its place of origin.

Most definitions of diaspora share three common features. There is dispersion, meaning people have moved away from a common homeland. There is a sustained connection to that homeland, whether through memory, religion, family, or active exchange. And there is a sense of distinct identity within the host society, even as the community integrates and builds new lives. Scholars note that contemporary definitions emphasise geographic dispersion, enduring ties to a homeland, and boundary-making that marks the group as distinct within host societies.

Diaspora and transnationalism: a key distinction 🔗

Diasporas are closely linked to transnationalism, but the two are not identical. Transnationalism describes the actual exchanges that flow across borders: remittances sent home, visits, marriages, business deals, and the spread of information. According to the Migration Policy Institute, when these exchanges actively take place, a diaspora functions as a transnational community. When a community simply maintains identification with the homeland without active exchange, it remains a diaspora. In other words, not all diasporas are transnational communities, but transnational communities arise within diasporas.

This distinction matters in International Relations. Diaspora theory is built around three principal actors: the homeland, the diaspora group, and the host country. These three interact in a constantly shifting set of relationships. Analysing how their socioeconomic, cultural, and political environments connect is, as one study guide puts it, the core of how diaspora theory works as a research method.

The Indian diaspora: the world’s largest 🔗

The Indian diaspora is the largest in the world. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, there are approximately 35.42 million overseas Indians, made up of about 15.85 million Non-Resident Indians and 19.57 million Persons of Indian Origin. This vast community is spread across more than 200 countries, reaching almost every corner of the globe.

To understand this community, it helps to know its three main categories. Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) are Indian citizens who live abroad but retain their Indian citizenship. Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) are foreign citizens with Indian ancestry. Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) hold a form of lifelong residency and visa-free access to India, though not full citizenship. In 2015, the PIO and OCI categories were merged to streamline benefits and simplify administration.

How the diaspora took shape 🔗

The Indian diaspora grew in distinct waves. Colonial-era migration sent indentured labourers to far-flung places such as Fiji, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad, and South Africa. After Independence and especially through the Gulf oil boom of the 1970s, large numbers of workers moved to West Asia, forming what is sometimes called the “Gulf diaspora.” From the 1980s onward, skilled migration grew rapidly, with professionals in information technology, medicine, and business settling in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. These different histories explain why the diaspora is so diverse, ranging from low-wage workers in the Gulf to billionaires in Silicon Valley.

How diasporas influence politics 🔗

Diasporas are best understood as transnational political entities. Scholars Yossi Shain and Tamara Cofman Wittes argue that diasporas are politically active in three distinct realms: organising within their host states to maximise political clout, pressuring their homeland’s domestic politics from outside, and engaging directly with third-party states and international organisations. This last point is striking. It means a diaspora can sometimes bypass both its homeland and host governments and act, in their words, on behalf of an entire people.

Indian-origin leaders on the world stage 🔗

The political rise of the Indian diaspora has been remarkable. In the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak became the first person of Indian origin to become Prime Minister in 2022, following Kamala Harris becoming the first person of Indian origin to be sworn in as US Vice President in 2021. What makes this so notable is scale. People of Indian origin form only about 3 percent of the population in England and a little over 1 percent in the United States, yet they have risen to prominence in numbers far beyond their share of the population.

The list extends well beyond these two names. Leo Varadkar served as Ireland’s Taoiseach, while leaders of Indian heritage have held top positions in Portugal, Mauritius, Suriname, Guyana, and Singapore. In Canada, ministers of Indian origin have shaped defence and economic policy. A list compiled by the organisation Indiaspora found that more than 200 Indian-origin people occupy leadership positions across roughly 15 countries.

Lobbying and advocacy 🔗

Beyond holding office, diasporas shape policy through advocacy and lobbying. Indian-American organisations played a notable role in advancing the India-US Civil Nuclear Deal, lobbying lawmakers in favour of closer ties. Diaspora communities also engage in “long-distance nationalism,” maintaining strong emotional and political ties to events back home. This influence can cut both ways. As analysts point out, while the diaspora can rally support for the homeland’s interests, it can also create complications, since diaspora communities are diverse and do not always speak with one voice.

The economic power of the diaspora 🔗

The economic contribution of the diaspora is enormous, and remittances are the clearest example. Remittances are the money that migrants send back to their families in the homeland. India has been the world’s top recipient of remittances for years. According to the Reserve Bank of India, the country received a record US$135.46 billion in remittances in FY 2024-25, a 14% rise over the previous year. These inflows contributed over 10% of India’s gross current account inflows and helped cover a large share of the merchandise trade deficit, making them a vital cushion for the economy.

Business leadership and knowledge networks 🔗

The diaspora also drives business and innovation. Indian-origin executives lead some of the world’s largest companies, including Sundar Pichai at Google and Satya Nadella at Microsoft, while over 20 Fortune 500 companies had CEOs of Indian origin in 2024. Ajay Banga chairs the World Bank. Beyond individual leadership, diaspora professionals form knowledge networks that connect India to global centres of innovation, transferring skills, capital, and best practices in technology, pharmaceuticals, and higher education. Indian-owned grocery stores, restaurants, and trading businesses also create steady commercial channels back to India.

Diasporas as cultural and civilisational bridges 🔗

Perhaps the most visible influence of diasporas is cultural. Diaspora communities act as cultural ambassadors, carrying their traditions into host societies and shaping how the homeland is perceived around the world. This is a central part of what is known as soft power, the ability to influence others through attraction rather than force.

Spreading culture and cuisine 🔗

Indian communities abroad have popularised yoga, Ayurveda, cinema, music, dance, and food across continents. Indian restaurants are now common in cities worldwide, and festivals like Diwali and Holi are celebrated far beyond India, from Mauritius and Fiji to the UK and the US. A powerful symbol of this cultural reach is the International Day of Yoga, declared by the United Nations in 2014 following India’s proposal. When a Prime Minister celebrates Diwali at an official residence abroad, or when yoga becomes a global wellness practice, the diaspora has played a key role in carrying that culture across borders.

Diaspora diplomacy and government engagement 🔗

Governments increasingly treat the diaspora as a strategic asset and have built institutions to engage it. India celebrates Pravasi Bharatiya Divas every January 9, marking the date Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa in 1915. The day honours the diaspora’s contributions and creates a platform for dialogue on policy and investment. Other initiatives include the Know India Programme, which connects diaspora youth aged 18 to 30 with their ancestral roots through orientation visits. Through cultural diplomacy, festivals organised by Indian missions, and bodies like the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, the diaspora becomes a living bridge between India and the wider world.

Challenges and the other side of the story 🔗

The diaspora story is not without complications. Low-skilled migrant workers, particularly in the Gulf, can face job insecurity and exploitation, and downturns in oil prices have led to layoffs and disrupted remittance flows. The political loyalties of diaspora communities are also diverse and sometimes divided, which can create tension rather than unity. And the success of high-profile leaders does not always translate into policies friendly to immigrants. Several Indian-origin politicians in the West have backed strict immigration measures, a point critics highlight as a contradiction between personal heritage and political choices. These challenges remind us that the diaspora is not a single, unified bloc but a complex web of communities with different interests.

Why diasporas matter in International Relations 🔗

Diasporas challenge the traditional idea that politics is contained neatly within the borders of nation-states. They are actors who belong to two or more societies at once, influencing the homeland and the host country simultaneously. Through politics, economics, and culture, they weave societies together and become central players in transnational movements. For India, often described as a civilisation with a global footprint, the diaspora is both a source of soft power and an instrument of foreign policy, helping shape how the country trades, negotiates, and is perceived. Understanding this dynamic is essential to making sense of an increasingly interconnected world.

What do you think? If a diaspora community can influence the politics of its host country, its homeland, and international forums all at once, where do its true loyalties lie, and should they have to choose? And as cultural exchange through diasporas deepens, do you think it strengthens national identities or gradually blurs the lines between them?

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaspora
2. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/political-importance-diasporas
3. https://www.perlego.com/knowledge/study-guides/what-is-diaspora-theory
4. https://www.indiandiaspora.org/news/global-footprint-indian-diaspora-worlds-largest-diaspora
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaspora_politics
6. https://indiaspora.org/feature_story/participation-in-politics-and-public-life-sets-indian-diaspora-apart/
7. https://english.gujaratsamachar.com/news/nri-news/unstoppable-political-rise-of-indian-diaspora-around-the-world-85114445804.html
8. https://www.pmfias.com/pravasi-bharatiya-divas/
9. https://superkalam.com/current-affairs/articles/pravasi-bharatiya-divas-2026-nri-day
10. https://diplomatist.com/diaspora-diplomacy-the-global-indian-footprint-in-politics-and-business/
11. https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/unleash-the-strategic-power-of-indian-diaspora
12. https://www.drishtiias.com/blog/honouring-the-global-indian-diaspora-and-their-contributions-to-india-s-growth