subject: What Is An Nri? [print this page] In order to avoid confusion an NRI is a non-resident Indian who can be living in any country around the world. However, this is a term which has become more commonplace over the last few years as the 30 million strong army of Indian workers plying their trade overseas continues to grow. So what exactly is an NRI and what does it mean?
Non-resident Indian
The NRI card is one of many immigration cards issued by the Indian authorities that include a person of Indian origin and an overseas citizen of India. Like so many Indians now living and working overseas the Indian authorities are very keen to maintain close contact with the "global Indian family" for a variety of reasons.
While there are no special tax implications with regards to non-resident Indians the holding of such a card does allow relatively free movement in and out of India, access to various government and local authority services along the lines of those experienced by Indian citizens. The 30 million Indian army now working overseas has grown due to a very fluid immigration movement that has seen India become the second highest net migration country behind China.
Migration from India
There are many economic boom times around the world which have attracted the attention of Indian investors and Indian workers with many of them deciding to move overseas longer term. As a consequence there are many areas of the world which have a significant non-resident Indian population including the likes of: -
Asia
It is estimated that 72% of Indians working overseas are situated in the Asia area with specific interest in Nepal, Malaysia and Burma to name but a few. The history of NRIs in Asia goes back centuries to the very early days of worldwide trade and worldwide business.
North America
It is estimated that there are 2.8 million non-resident Indians living in North America with just under 1 million also present in Canada. Again, for many people the deciding factor with regards to their historic move from India has been economical and family orientated.
Middle East
The recent boom times in the Dubai economy are a perfect example of the migration pattern of Indian workers in recent times. There were significant Indian workers present in Dubai when the economy was pushing ahead and while numbers have fallen since the economic downturn there is still a significant Indian population in the region.
Africa
The Indian population in Africa can be traced back many centuries and indeed a number of the local African economies have a very high Indian influence in years gone by. It is also worth noting that the British Commonwealth allowed relatively free movement of Indian workers in years gone by and assisted in the creation of numerous enclaves.
Europe
It will come as no surprise to learn that the UK has the highest representation of Indian workers within Europe. The UK has for many years been very close to the Indian government and the Indian population, which can be traced back to the British Commonwealth times, and this is likely to continue for some time to come.
Conclusion
With over 30 million Indians now working and living overseas there is no doubt that non-resident Indian status is a term which will crop up more and more. Despite many people leaving for pastures new there still remains a significant pullback to their cultural homeland.
