For decades, young Indians have aspired to study and settle abroad, drawn by world-class education, the prestige of a foreign degree, better pay and work culture, and global exposure. The currency advantage and superior wages make foreign shores attractive for blue-collar workers as well. Popular destinations like the US, Canada, the UK, UAE, and Australia offer good infrastructure, efficient public services, and a higher quality of life. Even with a low-status job abroad – one that would typically be looked down upon in India, where the dignity of labour is often lacking – they still command respect simply for being ‘foreign settled’. For many, migration is as much about opportunity as it is about escaping India’s chaos, pollution, bureaucratic hurdles, and a work environment that stifles talent.

Yet, many who move abroad for studies or work often face harsh realities: exploitative work conditions, high living costs, and mental stress caused by social isolation and weak support systems. A recent viral social media post titled I regret moving abroad by an Indian student in Canada sparked debate about these struggles. Concerns about racism and safety further heighten anxieties among Indians studying or working abroad. Incidents such as the online vitriol directed at Indian professionals in the US by a section of President Donald Trump’s supporters in December 2024 – January 2025, as well as the activities of violent anti-India groups in countries like Canada and the UK, further fuel their fears.

However, despite the exorbitant costs and hardships, the desire to move overseas remains strong. This was evident in February 2025 when media reports covered the deportation of Indians caught attempting illegal entry into the United States – highlighting how people are willing to spend millions of rupees and risk their lives in pursuit of the foreign dream. The US alone has over 725,000 illegal Indian immigrants, with 90,415 Indians caught attempting illegal entry between October 2023 and September 2024.

Behind these statistics lie stories of misplaced aspirations, such as that of Kashmir Singh – a small sweet shop owner in a Punjab village who sold his land and took loans to send his son to the US through illegal channels because the son was ‘embarrassed’ to join the family business. His son attempted illegal entry twice in eight months and failed both times – leaving his family poorer by ₹5.5 million. Stories like his are not uncommon. Many spend ₹5–6 million, an amount that could sustain a comfortable life in a small Indian town, only to struggle in an unfamiliar land – facing cultural barriers, isolation, and a life of fear and uncertainty even if they evade deportation. They fail to recognise that if struggle is inevitable, facing it at home gives the advantage of familiarity and a stronger support system.

India has long ranked among the world’s top origin countries for migrants, with its international migrant population more than doubling over the past 25 years. However, its emigration rate remains low, with only about 1% of its birth population living abroad – comparable to the United States and well below the global average of 3%. Despite the low rate, India accounted for 14.3% of global remittances in 2024 – the highest ever by any country in this century, but the $129.1 billion in remittances contributed just 3.3% of the nation’s GDP.

Nevertheless, even this seemingly small percentage of emigrants carries significant implications. If current migration trends persist, India could face a greater outflow of skilled professionals, including in critical sectors like technology and healthcare. Simultaneously, a surge in blue-collar migration is also underway – a study reported a 50% rise in migration from India to the Middle East. While India is projected to have a surplus workforce by 2030, migration drives more migration – as top talent leaves, others follow. If left unchecked, this could deplete the expertise India needs to achieve Mission 2047.

India’s Path to Mission 2047

The frustrations that once pushed Indians to seek a future abroad are no longer the full story. As the world’s fifth largest economy, soon to be the third, India is transforming at a scale and speed that is redefining opportunities at home. Infrastructure is expanding, entrepreneurship is on the rise, and governance is more efficient.

• Infrastructure: The National Highway network has expanded by 60%, with four-lane and above highways increasing 2.5 times. The number of operational airports has doubled, and metro services have grown from five to 21 cities.
• Education and Innovation: India’s higher education sector has seen significant expansion over the past decade – IITs have increased from 16 to 23, IIMs from 13 to 20, MBBS seats from 70,012 to 118,137, postgraduate medical seats from 39,583 to 73,157, and universities from 723 to 1,213. The National Education Policy 2020 allows the world’s top universities to set up campuses in India. Research spending, though still lagging at about 0.6–0.7% of GDP, has more than doubled in the last ten years. Initiatives like Atal Tinkering Labs in schools and One Nation One Subscription for access to global research hold promise. India ranked 39th in the Global Innovation Index 2024 and first among lower-middle-income nations.
• Entrepreneurship and Jobs: India is building one of the world’s fastest-growing startup ecosystems, rising from just 400  in 2014 to 157,000 today, with 48% emerging from smaller cities. However, survival and scaling remain challenges. Salary hikes of 25–35% in emerging sectors, greater adoption of ESOPs, and more leadership roles for skilled professionals signal a growing domestic opportunity.
• Ease of Doing Business: Loan accessibility has improved through schemes like MUDRA. Over the past decade, 1,500 outdated laws and 40,000 compliances have been removed. India’s Ease of Doing Business ranking jumped from 142nd in 2014 to 63rd in 2020, the last report before the World Bank discontinued the index. Despite this progress, bureaucratic red tape remains a hurdle for businesses and investors.
• Empowerment: Female workforce participation has nearly doubled since 2017–18. Since 2014, 250 million people have been lifted out of multidimensional poverty. India’s financial and digital inclusion are globally recognised.
• Quality of Life: While still below advanced economies, improvements are evident – better roads, transportation, electricity, toilets, LPG access, affordable housing, financial inclusion, and internet penetration. The Swachh Bharat Mission has enhanced sanitation and public health. The Ayushman Bharat card has provided millions with health coverage, while Jan Aushadhi Kendras offer quality medicines and surgical items at affordable prices. Urban congestion and pollution challenges remain, as both the 100 Smart Cities Mission and the National Clean Air Programme show patchy progress with slow gains.
• Environmental Measures: Public and private large-scale efforts are underway to clean water bodies. There is a strong push to expand renewable energy and electric vehicles. LPG coverage of 101.5 million households has helped reduce dependence on wood for cooking.
• Security and Democracy: In some aspects, India is safer than the US, a preferred destination for Indians wanting to study or settle abroad. In 2022, the US reported 141,486 rapes (41.8 per 100,000) compared to India’s 28,522 (2.1 per 100,000); and in 2024, it reported over 488 mass shootings and 83 school shootings, something unheard of in India. The cross-border terror attacks have gone down, and Naxal-affected areas have shrunk considerably. Democracy in India allows prolonged protests and dissent, whereas countries like Canada have resorted to invoking emergency powers to crush the Truckers’ protests.

This list is not exhaustive. In addition to these initiatives by the Union government, individual states have also implemented their own measures. These efforts are not without flaws. India still requires deeper reforms, smarter policies, and sustained development to realise its Mission 2047 of becoming a developed nation. Transforming a country of 1.44 billion while navigating entrenched challenges and historical fault lines is no easy task. However, it is undeniable that what once seemed a distant dream now appears within reach.

The Migration Mindset

Most analyses focus on traditional migration drivers like educational institutions, infrastructure, global competitiveness, opportunities, work culture, and overall living standards. These factors are crucial and must be strengthened, but they alone will not curb migration. A country as vast and diverse as India will always have its challenges. The real issue is not just fixing systems but shifting mindsets and reshaping how Indians perceive their own country.

Foreign Bias: 

• Even as India rises globally and its institutions continue to produce talent sought after by top multinationals, the prestige of foreign degrees and jobs remains unchallenged.
• Outdated perceptions of inefficiency and stagnation at home amplify the appeal of foreign opportunities.
• Media and social media narratives often present foreign nations more positively than India.
• Indians tend to dwell on the nation’s negatives and foreign positives rather than taking a balanced view.
• The fixation on remittances and the tendency to bask in the reflected glory of successful Indians abroad further reinforce the overseas dream.

Legacy Thinking: 

• The idea of India remains trapped in a dated outlook – wary of wealth creation and world-class aspirations while resigned to survival struggles.
• Short-term fixes and jugaad take precedence over sustained progress, leaving little room for the patience Mission 2047 demands.
• Success is treated as an exception and often met with suspicion or even resentment, while failure is stigmatised – discouraging risk-taking and innovation. A reluctance to fully commit to ambition pushes many to seek a more conducive environment elsewhere where setbacks carry less stigma.
• Bold initiatives like Digital India, once met with skepticism, have proven transformative and been embraced by Indians. Yet, at the first sign of trouble, old patterns of cynicism and risk aversion tend to resurface.

Stakeholder Disconnect: 

• Many view the nation’s progress as the government’s duty rather than a collective effort.
• The colonial-era detachment from governance persists, even as India dismantles its colonial institutional legacies, with many failing to see themselves as nation builders responsible for rejecting populism, divisive rhetoric, and other forces that weaken the nation.
• While people respond to higher calls (e.g., LPG subsidy surrenders), populism and indiscriminate appeasement create resentment.
• A system perceived as extractive and exploitative further disengages people, driving them to seek opportunities elsewhere.

National Discourse: 

• Political priorities in India often undermine meritocracy and cast wealth creation in a negative light.
• The media, which should steer constructive conversation, often distorts it – for instance, portraying US deportees as victims rather than wrongdoers who paid millions and abetted human traffickers to enter a foreign nation illegally.
• At a time when India must address the risks of AI propagating stereotypes and false narratives, its political parties, media, thought leaders, and citizens are worsening the problem by adopting exaggerated and sensationalised approaches to issues.
• National discourse remains fixated on regional, religious, caste, and linguistic divides, obstructing a unified vision for progress.
• India’s advancements in science, technology, and industry demonstrate what is possible despite challenges when individual brilliance is effectively channelled towards progress. However, these achievements rarely receive the sustained spotlight needed to inspire public confidence in domestic capabilities. Even national awards disproportionately favour Arts and Literature.
• A culture of negativity fuels disillusionment, overwhelming people and leaving them hopeless about change, reinforcing the idea that migration is not just attractive but inevitable.

Each of these issues triggers and reinforces the others, slowing the transformation of India’s collective mindset.

The Indian Dream

Addressing the migration mentality requires shifting the national discourse to prioritise aspiration and constructive solutions over divisiveness, sensationalism, and pessimism. Mission 2047’s success depends on shedding entrenched attitudes and transforming mindsets towards ambition, merit, innovation, and civic responsibility, as no policy can compensate for an apathetic, divided, and disengaged citizenry. A thriving India must inspire confidence in its future – not merely as an alternative to migration, but as the preferred destination for success.

While the appeal of life abroad remains, tightening migration barriers and increasingly unwelcoming foreign societies make a secure overseas future uncertain. Meanwhile, India is rising, laying the foundations for a new era. Challenges persist – bureaucratic inertia, systemic inefficiencies, and an evolving ecosystem – but the potential far outweighs the obstacles. A nation’s destiny is shaped by stakeholders, not spectators. Migration will always be a choice, but those who stay will have the opportunity to witness and contribute to India’s rise.

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