Why India's Global Elite Won't Come Home

A successful engineer with $500,000 in savings told his friend something that stopped thousands of Indians mid-scroll on social media: "I'm not coming back." Not because he doesn't love India. But because after years in Canada, the idea of returning home feels like moving backward, not forward.

This viral post has reignited a conversation India has been having with itself for decades — why won't its most successful diaspora come home?

The Great Indian Exodus Continues

India sends hundreds of thousands of its brightest minds abroad each year. They become CEOs of Google and Microsoft, lead research at Harvard and MIT, and build billion-dollar startups in Silicon Valley. Yet when Modi's government rolls out red carpets and tax incentives to lure them back, most politely decline.

The numbers tell a stark story. Indian-origin entrepreneurs have created $250 billion worth of value in Silicon Valley alone. Meanwhile, India's "reverse brain drain" initiatives have attracted only a fraction of the talent they hoped to reclaim. The Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) scheme, launched with fanfare, has seen modest uptake among those it most wants to attract — the highly skilled professionals who've made it big abroad.

Beyond Money: The Comfort Gap

Here's what's fascinating: it's not primarily about money anymore. Many of these overseas Indians earn well enough that salary differentials, while significant, aren't the deciding factor. The real barriers run deeper.

Take the Canadian engineer from that viral post. He cited concerns about air quality for his children, traffic that could add hours to daily commutes, and a bureaucratic system that might frustrate someone used to Western efficiency. These aren't problems that stock options or tax breaks can solve overnight.

Bangalore and Hyderabad have built impressive tech ecosystems, but they compete against Toronto and London — cities where the subway runs on time, where you don't need connections to get basic services, and where your children can walk to school safely.

The Success Trap

Ironically, the diaspora's success abroad makes return less likely, not more. When Sundar Pichai runs Google or Satya Nadella leads Microsoft, they're not just successful executives — they're proof that the glass ceiling for Indians is higher abroad than at home.

This creates what economists call a "demonstration effect." Young Indians see these role models and think: why settle for being a big fish in the Indian pond when you can be a whale in the global ocean?

Different Perspectives on the Same Problem

The Government's View: India has invested heavily in education and deserves returns on that investment. Officials point to improved infrastructure, startup-friendly policies, and growing GDP as reasons for optimism.

The Diaspora's Reality: Success abroad isn't just about individual achievement — it's about providing better opportunities for the next generation. Many overseas Indians worry about India's education system, environmental challenges, and social pressures they've learned to live without.

The Global Context: Other countries face similar challenges. China has had mixed success with its talent return programs, while smaller nations like Ireland and Israel have found innovative ways to leverage their diaspora without requiring physical return.

The Long Game Strategy

Some argue that physical return isn't the only way diaspora can contribute. Indian-Americans send $100 billion in remittances annually and increasingly invest in Indian startups. They serve as bridges for trade, technology transfer, and cultural exchange.

Perhaps the question isn't "How do we get them back?" but "How do we keep them engaged?" Israel's model of maintaining strong diaspora ties without expecting mass return migration offers one template.