Allowing dual citizenship could deepen India’s ties with its global diaspora and aid its economy

Among successful Indian expats, many of whom have acquired foreign citizenship, there is a palpable desire to reclaim or retain an Indian passport while keeping their adopted nationality intact.

This is not a matter of convenience alone, but also a rational response to a rapidly changing geopolitical and economic landscape.

India today is a bright spot. While advanced economies grapple with political polarization, slowing growth and fiscal stress, India offers scale, stability and long-term opportunity. It is, therefore, unsurprising that members of the Indian diaspora, excelling abroad but retaining deep emotional and economic ties with India, seek a more formal and enduring bond with India. The time may be ripe for us to revisit our long-standing aversion to dual citizenship.

India’s current framework, centred on the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI), was a pragmatic innovation. It acknowledged the reality of global mobility while preserving the constitutional principle of single citizenship.

OCI offers visa-free entry, parity with non-resident Indians in several economic spheres and a sense of belonging. Yet, it stops short of full legal nationality. An OCI holder is, in constitutional terms, a foreigner, deprived of absolute protection against regulatory shifts and the security offered by a passport.

The distinction may appear semantic in ordinary times, but it becomes consequential in extraordinary ones. The pandemic, abrupt travel bans, changing foreign investment rules and rising geopolitical tensions have underscored how citizenship status can decisively shape outcomes.

For many expats, the inability to hold Indian citizenship alongside a foreign one constrains deeper engagement, be it long-term investment, relocation of businesses or participation in public life.

Traditional objections to dual citizenship revolve around divided loyalties, national security, electoral integrity and administrative complexity. Though not light, these concerns belonged to an India that was economically cautious, geopolitically reticent and institutionally less equipped to manage complexities. India today is more confident, capable and far better integrated with the global system.

Most major democracies permit dual citizenship. The US, UK, Canada, Australia, Israel and much of Europe view it not as a dilution of allegiance, but as a pragmatic recognition of global interdependence. Their experience suggests that dual citizens are often among the most engaged contributors, economically, intellectually and culturally. There is little empirical evidence that it undermines national security or political stability if sensibly regulated.

For India, the case for dual citizenship should be made as a matter of strategic statecraft. Over 30 million Indians live abroad, with many more tracing their ancestral ties to India. They are potential ambassadors for India’s growth story. Indian expats today occupy senior positions in global finance, technology, healthcare, academia and manufacturing. They control capital, influence investment decisions and shape innovation ecosystems.

While India actively courts foreign investment, it paradoxically withholds full citizenship from their most natural long-term investors. Dual citizenship would reduce legal and psychological barriers, encouraging long-term capital, entrepreneurial relocation and deeper involvement with India’s growth story. Unlike today’s ad-hoc engagements, it would facilitate easier participation of overseas Indians in boards, universities, policy advisory roles and philanthropic institutions.

Many second-generation Indians abroad are culturally Indian, professionally global and influential in their societies. Offering them a structured path to Indian citizenship would anchor their identity and engagement early, rather than allowing India to become a distant ancestral abstraction.

A selective, case-by-case model can address most legitimate concerns. Eligibility may be confined to those who meet defined criteria such as clean legal records, demonstrable economic or professional contributions, explicit allegiance to India’s constitutional values et al. Categories such as ‘citizens of India’s adversaries’ could be either excluded or subjected to enhanced scrutiny.

Political rights can be calibrated. The right to vote may be linked to tax residency. Constitutional offices, security-sensitive positions and high public trust roles can remain restricted to sole Indian citizens. Many democracies make such nuanced distinctions.

India has the technological and administrative capacity for such a system. Digital identity systems, global information sharing and robust verification mechanisms significantly mitigate risks that once appeared daunting.

As economic and geopolitical gameplans shift around the world, many Indian expats are ready to place larger bets on India. The question is whether India is prepared to reciprocate with trust, foresight and confidence in its own diaspora.

The author is founding partner, Jupiter Law Partners.