The diplomatic crisis between New Delhi and Ottawa, sparked by the assassination in June of a Sikh separatist leader in the Canadian province of British Columbia, has turned a spotlight on the Indian diaspora, the largest in the world. According to the UN it numbers 18 million, the figure is 30 million according to India – living mainly in the United Arab Emirates, the Gulf States, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Their numbers have doubled over the last 20 years, turning these emigrants into a major economic force. In 2022, they generated international remittances worth €104 billion, making India the world's leading recipient of money and goods sent home by migrants.
For Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been doing his utmost to court these "overseas Indians," the affair has had the worst possible effect and come at the worst possible time, just a few months ahead of the elections. His counterpart in Canada, Justin Trudeau, is accusing India of being linked to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen of Indian origin who emigrated to Canada in 1996 and who was a vocal advocate for the creation of Khalistan – an independent state in Punjab. This Sikh leader was shot dead on June 18. In 2020, the Indian government had added his name to its list of "active terrorists".
Since he came to power in 2014, the Hindu nationalist prime minister has sought to forge close ties with emigrant Indians, whom he dubs "brand ambassadors". He looks to them to further his country's interests abroad. On his first visit to the United States, in September 2014, in front of 20,000 people gathered at Madison Square Garden in New York, Modi boasted of his "development" policy and his "good governance". Each subsequent visit abroad has turned into a highly visible meeting with the diaspora.
For the Indian newspaper Economic Times, Modi has restored pride among expatriate Indians, giving them recognition and a role as "contributors to its progress". According to this business daily: "Before, they had little to be proud of [concerning] their homeland. On the contrary, they suffered racist stereotyping due to their origin. When they aligned with Modi they were aligning with a rising India, their home country which was being perceived positively in their host country. The Modi association boosted their self-esteem and raised their confidence. Being of Indian origin was no longer a fact to be hidden but flaunted."
The diaspora has become a tool of Indian soft power – with the brilliant minds within it particularly feted. Amongst its number are engineers considered among the best in the world, coveted by the tech giants of Silicon Valley, and economists such as Ajay Banga, who heads the World Bank. "India will light up the world," boasted Modi.
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