More than 2.16 lakh Indians have renounced their Indian citizenship in 2023.

On queries related to Indian citizenship, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh has said in a written response that the number of Indians who renounced their citizenship just last year alone was 2,16,219 (2.16 lakh). He was addressing queries for the last five years and shared the data for 2011-2018 as well. The minister explained the reasons for renouncing or taking citizenship as “personal”.

Regarding the low acceptance of Indian citizenship, Singh said, “The government recognises the potential of the global workplace in an era of a knowledge economy. It has also brought about a transformational change in its engagement with the Indian diaspora.”

Referring to the high number of renunciations, he added that a “successful, prosperous, and influential diaspora” is an “asset for India”.

According to data, the figures for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022 are 85,256, 1.63 lakh, and 2.25 lakh, respectively.

“India stands to gain a lot from tapping its diaspora networks and productive utilisation of the soft power that comes from having such a flourishing diaspora. The government’s efforts are also aimed at harnessing the diaspora potential to its fullest including through sharing of knowledge and expertise,” the minister confirmed. – editor@nrifocus.com