Globalization, national autonomy and non‐resident Indians

Abstract

The Indian government's recent High Level Committee report on the Indian Diaspora estimates that almost 20 million people of Indian origin live overseas. From this significant, although diverse, collective, India receives substantial resources. The relationship between the Indian nation and these ‘flexible citizens’ produces complex economic, social and political expressions at multiple scales. This paper explores the socio‐economic manifestations that have emerged from the connections non‐resident Indians (NRIs) have developed with India, with a particular focus on Punjab. It argues that globalization processes have encouraged a renewed national interest with NRIs as a force to assist India to engage with the global economy. The paper suggests that, at an abstract level, the impact of this extra‐national population is positive for the economic autonomy of India, even as it engages with the global economy. However, at the regional scale, it identifies more complex and variable effects. The paper therefore draws attention to the processal effects of globalization, and the differential outcomes of these practices at multiple scales.