The Indian Diaspora and Poland–India Relations
The Indian Diaspora and Poland–India Relations

Author(s): Patryk Kugiel, Konrad Pędziwiatr
Contributor(s): Anthony Casey (Editor), Dorota Dołęgowska (Editor)
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Social Sciences, Governance, Sociology, International relations/trade, Migration Studies, Inter-Ethnic Relations, Ethnic Minorities Studies
Published by: PISM Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych
Keywords: Poland; Indian diaspora; Indians; national and foreign policies; Indian minority in Poland;
Summary/Abstract: The Indian diaspora is one of the largest national overseas communities. Around 22 million Indians and people of Indian origin live abroad and are in almost all countries of the world. They play an increasingly important role in Indian national and foreign policies, as Delhi has been dynamically re-engaging with Indians globally and involving them in the development of the country. The overseas Indians have a significant political, economic and soft power role in Indian domestic and international aspirations. As this diaspora continues to grow and the government in Delhi emphasises its importance, one may expect it will play a larger role in cooperation with India. The Indian minority in Poland is a relatively new phenomenon, which emerged only after the end of the Cold War, especially after Poland joined the EU, since when the number of Indians in Poland has more than doubled. It seems that the size of the community will increase in the future, as the Polish economy continues to grow, and as more foreign direct investments, including those from India, are made in Poland, enhancing the country’s economic attractiveness for migrants. Today, the Indian community in Poland is made up of almost 4,000 people. This makes it the eighth largest immigrant community in Poland. Although still relatively small, if compared with those established in many Western European countries, it is the main concentration of Indians in Central Europe, and among the New EU Member States. This gives Poland a certain comparative advantage over countries in the region vis-à-vis India.

• Details
• Contents