India's Diaspora and Remittances
West Asia Exposure
India has approximately 8.9 million nationals in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries — the largest concentration of the Indian diaspora anywhere in the world. Remittances from GCC countries constitute the largest share of India's total inward remittances, which exceeded $120 billion in FY2023–24, making India the world's largest recipient of remittances.
- Top Indian diaspora destinations in GCC: UAE (~3.5 million), Saudi Arabia (~2.5 million), Kuwait (~1 million), Qatar (~750,000), Oman (~750,000), Bahrain (~350,000)
- GCC remittances account for roughly 50% of total inward remittances to India
- India has bilateral labour agreements and Memoranda of Understanding on labour cooperation with all six GCC states
- The Ministry of External Affairs activates emergency evacuation protocols (like Operation Kaveri in Sudan, Operation Ganga in Ukraine) when Indian nationals in conflict zones require repatriation
- The CCS meeting's mandate to safeguard "citizens" explicitly includes the welfare and potential evacuation preparedness of Indian nationals in the Gulf region
● Tracked since February 05, 2026 · last seen July 05, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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