India’s path toward Dual Citizenship

As my friends and I have recently considered applying for Canadian citizenship, we often experience conflicted emotions. On one hand, we want to make our lives easier by acquiring Canadian citizenship, which would allow us to work freely in Canada and travel to most countries in the world, especially the United States and European nations. This is a significant advantage; otherwise, the way Schengen countries treat applicants for visas can be inhumane.

On the other hand, it is insanely difficult to leave Indian citizenship. Many of us, even those who have lived abroad for more than 7-8 years, remain emotionally connected to India. Our comfort food is still dal chawal, and we wake up at 3 am in the morning to watch the world cup final cricket match wearing an Indian jersey, or sleep at 2 am to watch the Indian election results. 

When I first moved to Canada, I was young and naive and never thought I would face such a dilemma. I argue that this is not only our dilemma rather the dilemma of 34.5 million Indians living outside India. This number will continue to grow as the aspirations and economic power of Indians increase. People will seek to move abroad for various reasons: international job opportunities, studying at top universities, aspirational dreams, and a better quality of life. In 2023 alone, over 210,000 Indians renounced their citizenship, with an average of around 138,000 per year over the past decade, and this trend is on the rise

I am arguing that allowing dual citizenship will have a lot of positive impact for India. There are already well-documented benefits, such as the world’s highest remittance inflow, worth 124 billion dollars annually, increased awareness of Indian culture, a booming business in Indian gastronomy, and the popularity of Indian films.

One of the most significant impacts of this policy would be its potential to address the so-called 'brain drain' issue.

While I am not arguing here that the people leaving India are smarter and more intellectual than the people living in India, I think the experiences one acquires while being in a different territory are worthwhile.  An Indian working in Silicon Valley might acquire entrepreneurial spirit purely by osmosis, or for instance by living in Amsterdam or Copenhagen might acquire the knowledge about cycling infrastructure, or for someone like me living in Montreal might be fascinated by the impact of pedestrianized street on the economy. These diverse skills and ideas are not necessarily taught in universities, but rather naturally picked up in a new environment. As more Indians and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) consider returning to India, they will bring not only wealth and talent but also a rich pool of knowledge. Many of these individuals, likely to be elite members of society, will also care deeply about the welfare of the Indian state.

While the critics of this will say that this might pose a significant security threat to India[1,2]. I believe this is an exaggerated concern. Let's try to analyze this step by step. Firstly, individuals who currently hold Indian citizenship and acquire foreign nationality are no more of a threat to India than they were before. The best example of this group is millions of H1B holders who will probably have to wait their lifetime for their US green card while still being an Indian citizen. The second category is much more interesting, where people who have already left Indian citizenship and now would like to acquire dual citizenship under the new policy. This can be a tricker group due to historical political challenges, Khalistani movements, etc. For any member applying from this group, we can have a police check and other screening measures deemed necessary by the Ministry of External Affairs. Often, when applying for foreign citizenship Indians have to clear various extensive checks before one is granted citizenship and India can follow the same path. Despite all this, it is still possible to have a few handful of bad actors and in that case we should proceed in the same way as we would do currently for Indian citizens. 

I believe it is time for India to allow dual citizenship for its citizens.