Where Do Indians Live Outside India? Countries With Large Indian Communities

India’s population extends far beyond its national borders. Indian citizens live abroad for work, education, business and family reasons, while millions of people in other countries have Indian ancestry that may go back several generations.

This makes the question “Where do Indians live outside India?” more complicated than simply producing a list of countries. The Indian population abroad includes recent migrants, long-term residents, Indian citizens working overseas and people of Indian origin who are now citizens of other countries.

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The communities have also developed in very different ways. Indians in the Gulf, for example, have a migration history strongly connected with employment, while Indian-origin populations in countries such as Mauritius, Malaysia and South Africa have much deeper historical roots.

What Does “Indian Diaspora” Mean?

The term Indian diaspora generally refers to people of Indian origin living outside India. It can therefore include people who hold Indian citizenship as well as people of Indian ancestry who are citizens of another country.

The term NRI, or Non-Resident Indian, is narrower. It generally refers to an Indian citizen who lives outside India.

This distinction is important when looking at population figures. Different organisations use different definitions when counting people living outside their country of birth or people belonging to a particular national or ethnic background.

United States

The United States is one of the world’s major centres of Indian-origin population.

Indian communities can be found across the country, with particularly established populations in California, New Jersey, New York and Texas. The community includes technology professionals, doctors, engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs, students and families whose American connection stretches across several generations.

Indian migration to the United States has developed through several routes. Higher education has brought large numbers of Indian students, while professional migration has created strong communities in technology, healthcare, engineering and other specialised fields.

Over time, these communities have developed their own businesses, cultural organisations, religious institutions, restaurants and social networks.

The United States therefore represents more than a destination for recent Indian migrants. It is also home to an established Indian-American population with increasingly diverse family and migration histories.

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates has one of the largest Indian communities outside India.

Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah are particularly important centres of Indian life. Indians work across construction, engineering, healthcare, retail, hospitality, finance, transport, technology and professional services.

The UAE is different from countries where Indian communities have primarily developed through permanent settlement. A significant part of Indian migration to the Gulf has historically been connected with employment, and many workers maintain close financial and family connections with India.

Indian businesses are also highly visible in the UAE. Grocery stores, restaurants, clothing shops, professional services and other Indian-owned businesses serve both Indian residents and the wider population.

This combination of employment, entrepreneurship and long-standing family connections has made the UAE one of the most important destinations for Indians abroad.

Canada

Canada has developed one of the largest Indian-origin communities outside India.

The Greater Toronto Area is a major centre, while Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and other cities also have substantial Indian populations.

The community is not uniform. People with roots in Punjab form an important part of the Canadian Indian population, while communities with origins in Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and other parts of India are also established across the country.

Indian migration to Canada has involved education, skilled employment, business and family reunification. As communities have grown, Indian grocery stores, restaurants, cultural associations, religious institutions and businesses have become part of everyday life in many Canadian cities.

Canada also demonstrates the difference between recent migration and established diaspora communities. Some residents arrived recently, while others belong to families that have lived in Canada for several generations.

United Kingdom

The Indian community in the United Kingdom has a long and complex history.

London is a major centre, but Indian-origin populations are also well established in Leicester, Birmingham, Manchester, Coventry and other cities.

The community includes people whose families migrated directly from India as well as families who arrived in Britain after earlier generations had lived in East African countries such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

This history has produced a distinctive British Indian culture in which Indian languages, food, religion and family traditions coexist with British life.

Indian restaurants, shops, temples, gurdwaras and cultural organisations are now established features of many British cities.

The British Indian population therefore cannot be understood only as a recent immigration story. Much of the community has developed over several generations.

Malaysia

Malaysia has one of the longest-established Indian-origin populations in Southeast Asia.

A large part of the Malaysian Indian community has Tamil heritage, although the broader population includes people with roots in other parts of India.

The community’s history is closely connected with the colonial period, when Indians migrated to British Malaya for plantation work, trade and other occupations.

Over generations, Indian traditions became deeply connected with Malaysian society. Hindu temples, Tamil-language institutions, Indian food, cultural celebrations and community organisations remain visible parts of life in areas with significant Indian populations.

Malaysia is therefore an important example of a diaspora community whose history reaches back much further than today’s international education and professional migration.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is another major destination for Indians, particularly for employment.

Indian workers and professionals have found opportunities in construction, healthcare, engineering, business, services and other sectors.

Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province are important centres for the Indian community.

The nature of migration to Saudi Arabia can differ from migration to countries such as Canada or the United States. Many Indians move to the Gulf primarily for employment and maintain close links with families in India.

This is why the size of an overseas Indian community should not automatically be interpreted as the number of people who have permanently settled in that country.

Australia

Australia has become an increasingly important destination for Indian students, skilled workers and professionals.

Sydney and Melbourne have particularly large Indian communities, while Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide also have growing populations.

Education has been an important part of this migration pattern. Some Indians initially travel to Australia as international students and later enter the workforce, while others arrive through skilled migration or family connections.

The result is a community that includes students, professionals, business owners and families who have made Australia their long-term home.

Indian cultural associations, restaurants, grocery stores, religious institutions and community events have become increasingly visible in Australian cities.

Singapore

Singapore has a smaller population than the United States, Canada or the Gulf states, but Indian heritage has a significant place in the country’s multicultural society.

The Little India district in Singapore is one of the clearest examples. Its restaurants, shops, temples and cultural institutions reflect a long history of Indian settlement and trade.

Tamil heritage has played an especially important role in Singapore’s Indian history, while the wider community includes people with roots in many regions of India.

Indian festivals, food, languages and religious traditions have become part of Singapore’s broader multicultural identity.

Mauritius

Mauritius provides a very different example of Indian migration.

A large share of the Mauritian population has Indian ancestry, much of it connected with Indian workers who arrived during the colonial period, particularly in connection with the sugar industry.

Over generations, Indian languages, religions, food traditions and cultural practices became deeply established in Mauritian society.

This means that Indian heritage in Mauritius is not simply associated with recent immigrants. It is part of the country’s long-term social and cultural development.

South Africa

South Africa has another Indian community with deep historical roots.

Indian migration increased during the colonial period, including the arrival of workers connected with the sugar industry as well as traders and other migrants.

Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal region remain important centres of South African Indian life.

The history of Indians in South Africa is also closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, who spent part of his early life there before returning to India.

Unlike newer migration destinations, the South African Indian community has had generations to develop its own identity while maintaining links with Indian heritage.

Why Do Indians Move Abroad?

There is no single reason why Indians move to other countries.

Employment has been one of the most important factors, particularly in Gulf countries where Indian workers have found opportunities across a wide range of industries.

Education is another major factor. Indian students travel to countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia for university and professional education.

Business and entrepreneurship have also contributed to Indian communities abroad. Indian-origin entrepreneurs operate businesses ranging from restaurants and retail shops to professional services and technology companies.

Family connections can influence migration as well. Once a community becomes established in a particular country, relatives and friends may have access to existing social networks that make moving there easier.

There is also a major historical migration component. Communities in Mauritius, Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa cannot be explained only through modern migration because their roots extend back to earlier periods of Indian movement overseas.

Why Population Figures Differ

One of the easiest mistakes when discussing Indians abroad is to treat every population statistic as though it measures the same thing.

It does not.

A government may count people according to citizenship. Another source may count people according to country of birth. A third dataset may include people of Indian ancestry regardless of their current citizenship.

This is why two sources can report different numbers for the Indian population in the same country without either figure necessarily being incorrect.

The definition and date of the data need to be considered before making comparisons.

Indians Abroad Are Not One Homogeneous Group

The phrase “Indian community abroad” can hide enormous differences.

An Indian software engineer working in California, a nurse working in the Gulf, a university student in Australia, a British Indian family whose ancestors arrived generations ago, and a Mauritian citizen with Indian ancestry may all have completely different experiences.

Their citizenship, language, occupation, migration history and relationship with India may differ considerably.

What often connects these communities is cultural rather than legal. Family traditions, food, festivals, languages, religion, business relationships and personal connections can continue across generations.

Where Are the Largest Indian Communities?

Countries with particularly large Indian populations or Indian-origin communities include the United States, United Arab Emirates, Canada, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Singapore, Mauritius and South Africa.

But there is no single ranking that tells the complete story because different countries have different proportions of Indian citizens and people of Indian origin.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have large communities strongly connected with employment migration. The United States, Canada, the UK and Australia have significant communities shaped by education, professional migration, family settlement and later generations. Mauritius, Malaysia and South Africa have Indian-origin populations whose histories reach back much further.

That distinction is important when trying to understand the global Indian population.

India’s Global Presence

Indian migration has taken place through many different periods and for many different reasons.

Some people move abroad temporarily for work or education. Others settle permanently and become citizens of their new countries. Some communities have Indian ancestry dating back several generations.

As a result, Indian communities can be found across North America, Europe, the Gulf, Southeast Asia, Africa and Oceania, but their histories are not interchangeable.

The question “Where do Indians live outside India?” therefore has a more interesting answer than a simple list of countries. Indians and people of Indian origin live in many parts of the world, but each community has its own migration story, economic circumstances and cultural history.