The NRI between Neo-liberalism and Diaspora

The non-resident Indian (NRI) is a ubiquitous term in communities of speakers of Indian languages living in India and abroad. It denotes the nonresident Indian classes, those citizens of India and sometimes their offspring who live in the United States and Europe, in Australia, other parts of Asia, and elsewhere. In many ways, the non-resident Indian helps make India new by expanding membership beyond state territories and reorienting economies towards border-crossing individuals, developments I describe below as neoliberal. The NRI announces a new relationship between the world and India. Its importance to the conception of a new India may be measured by the large number of services offered to NRIs, from rupee investment accounts to Bollywood films released specifically with this audience in mind. These services cater to and raise awareness within India to the Indian population abroad, often referred to as the Indian diaspora. In many ways, the NRI is a term that encapsulates globalization in India and its ambivalence to Indian citizens. To wit, NRI is sometimes understood to mean non-resident Indian; sometimes it is ironically twisted to mean not-really Indian, or even, a new resident of India.

This chapter tries to understand the significance of the NRI to a new India through unpacking its historical, legal and financial origins. Although in popular discourse, NRI and Indian diaspora are used interchangeably, this chapter separates the two analytically.