It's time for India to reconsider its rejection of dual citizenship

Allowing it could deepen engagement with Indian expats and help the economy in a volatile world

- JAGVIR SINGH

As a frequently travelling business lawyer, I often find myself in conversations going beyond legal principles and term sheets.

Increasingly, these discussions veer into a shared anxiety about global instability and simultaneously a renewed optimism about India. 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 longstanding 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 nonresident Indians in several economic spheres and a sense of belonging.