Increasing number of Indians taking overseas citizenship
More than 2.06 lakh Indians have renounced their citizenship in 2024, the Government of India informed the Lok Sabha on Friday.
In a written reply to questions from Congress MP K.C. Venugopal, Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh stated that, according to data available with the Ministry, the number of Indians who surrendered their citizenship in the last five years was as follows — 2020: 85,256; 2021: 1,63,370; 2022: 2,25,620; 2023: 2,16,219 and 2024: 2,06,378 people.
For context, earlier figures stood at 1,22,819 (2011), 1,20,923 (2012), 1,31,405 (2013), and 1,29,328 (2014).
The government clarified that the reasons for renouncing Indian citizenship or acquiring foreign nationality are personal and known only to the individuals concerned.
Singh noted that in an era shaped by the global knowledge economy, India recognizes the potential of its diaspora and has transformed its engagement with overseas Indians.
He described a “successful, prosperous, and influential diaspora” as an asset for India, offering networks, soft power, and opportunities for productive collaboration.
Government efforts, he added, aim to fully harness the diaspora’s knowledge and expertise.
In response to another query, the Ministry revealed that the total overseas Indian population is 3,43,56,193, comprising 1,71,81,071 Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and 1,71,75,122 Non-Resident Indians (NRIs).
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