Last year, nearly 160,000 Indians gave up their citizenship. In 2020, India was ranked highest by the United Nations among countries with the largest diaspora populations, with over 18 million Indians living outside the country.

What’s shaping these trends in India? According to experts, it is mostly the prospect of better education or employment. But many say that in recent years, growing concern over pollution and corruption have emerged as the strongest factors to move out. Some even point to the changing social environment of increased polarisation within the country.

So is this trend here to stay? What about the smaller but definitive group of Indians returning to the homeland? What’s their story of reverse migration?

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss why are so many Indians moving abroad.

Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Akshay Saxena, co-founder, Avanti Fellows; Ajay Sharma, founder and president, Abhinav Immigration Services; Maninder Singh, founder and coach, N-Kor Tennis Academy; Gaurav Kyal, country manager, UK-based tech firm