15 Lakh Indians Renounce Their Citizenship In 2024! What Is Driving Indians To Renounce Their Roots?

India has had an alarming trend within the last ten years with citizens giving up their Indian passports to take on foreign nationalities. It is no ordinary migration story but rather a symptom of larger societal, economic, and systemic issues. The accelerating number of Indians renouncing citizenship was a reflection of aspirations, frustrations, and perceived opportunities elsewhere.

Official statistics show over 3.2 lakh Indians renounced their citizenship in a year till October 2024. This article takes a deeper look into the statistics, tries to understand the circumstances that precipitated this exodus, analyses the implications of the exodus for India, and suggests possible solutions to reverse this trend.

The Numbers That Speak Volumes

Now let’s get down to the hard numbers. The Ministry of Home Affairs regularly reports the number of Indians officially giving up citizenship. These reflect a sharp spike in numbers:

• 2019: 1,44,017
• 2020: 85,256 (due to COVID-19 travel restrictions)
• 2021: 1,63,370
• 2022: 2,25,620
• 2023: 2,16,219
• 2024 (till October): 3,20,000

Over 15 lakh Indians renounced citizenship since 2011, and in the last two years, the number has steeply risen. This data raises the very pertinent question: why Indians are leaving and what it portends for the nation.

Exploring the Reasons for the Exodus

Although migration is never a new phenomenon, the increasing trend of giving up Indian citizenship hints deeper. The causes are different but mostly revolve around better opportunities and quality of life. A cursory glance to the factors that lead to this course;

Education 

Education has been one of the prime movers of Indians seeking opportunities outside. Though India has institutions of great prestige like IITs, IIMs, and AIIMS, due to limited seats and heavy competition; a vast section of aspiring students is excluded from it.

The Numbers

• In 2023, there were more than 9 lakh Indians studying abroad. That marks a huge shift compared to previous years.
• The U.S. alone accounts for nearly 2 lakh Indian students annually. Many of those attending university aim for permanent residency after graduation.
• Canada, Germany, and Australia have also become the most sought-after destinations since education is inexpensive along with post-study work opportunities.

Major Drawbacks in India

Out of every 1,000 applicants, only a few manage to get seats in the top institutions in India. As per many students, the education system of the country is outdated and does not encourage innovation or practical skills.

Comparatively, countries like the U.S. with its Ivy League universities, or Canada with its cost-effective yet quality education, will serve as stark contrasts. In addition, these nations will provide opportunities to the students to gain citizenship, thereby making the decision easier for families investing in their children’s futures.

India has a very long health infrastructure that struggles with access and quality. Public hospitals are overcrowded and typical citizens cannot afford private care.

Doctor to population ratio: only one doctor per 1,456 people, while the recommended by the WHO is one per 1,000. The public sector: overburdened hospitals with limited resources and a long wait for treatment.

In excess of 60% of healthcare costs for patients, leading many into debt. Countries like Canada, Australia, and many in Europe offer universal healthcare systems. Such systems ensure high-level medical care at costs next to nothing. For families having elderly members or chronic conditions, the promise of well-maintained care without interruptions may be a big motivation to come over.

The Need for Stability

India, nowadays, presents a mounting threat to security, most particularly against women, minorities, and weak sectors. Crime escalates, incompetence of law and order, and political and social unrest are observed as escalated threats against the security of most Indians.

Countries like Norway, Switzerland, and New Zealand top indices of safety. Here, one feels safe and socially stable, lacking often in India. Women find these countries are very supportive for individual freedom and security.

Politics in India today becomes highly polarised. Many Indians from the educated middle class find themselves vocal about governance issues such as corruption, a lack of accountability, and increasing censorship.

Concerns in India

• Corruption: Despite efforts made to curb it, corruption remains something deeply rooted in many sectors.
• Judicial Delays: India’s legal system is overwhelmed as more than 4.4 crore cases are pending in courts.
• Polarisation: Polarisation at both the political and social levels has disallowed many to feel a sense of belonging to mainstream society.
• Countries with open governance and solid democratic principles, such as Canada or the Scandinavian countries, attract Indians who look for stability and equality.

Economic Incentives and Tax Advantages

India’s unorganised taxation system along with bureaucratic obstructions compels HNWIs to migrate from India. UAE, Singapore, and Portugal have provided tax advantages, reduced bureaucracy to their business environments, which are attractive for Indian wealthy people.

Challenges in India

Indians in the highest income bracket pay up to 30% in taxes. Zero income tax and an accompanying attraction of entrepreneurs and investors make the UAE an attractive alternative. Portugal, for instance, offers a Golden Visa program that allows an individual to invest in real estate and gain citizenship.

The Passport Problem

The Indian passport ranks 70th worldwide with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to only 60 destinations. In contrast, Japanese passport holders may enter 193 destinations without going through a visa process.

For business professionals, for frequent travellers, and for people having international ambitions, this mobility can severely impact their opportunities. Citizens of countries having stronger passports-for example, the US, Canada, or Germany-acquire unparalleled international market access along with travel perks.

Case Studies: Stories Behind Citizenship Renunciation

Compelling statistics on citizenship renunciation become much more human and impactful when put in the context of personal stories. Here are carefully crafted case studies of individuals and families that have renounced Indian citizenship to shed light on unique struggles, aspirations, and motivations behind the decisions taken.

Case Study 1: Ankur and Neha Sharma – The IT Couple Seeking Balance

Background

Ankur and Neha Sharma, who were in their mid-30s, were both IT professionals working in Bangalore-the tech capital of India. They earned ₹50 lakhs per year between them from multinational corporations where they were working. On paper, they represented the very epitome of the urban middle-class dream: well-paid jobs, a modern apartment in a gated community, and good schools for their two young children.

The Issue

• Despite their financial stability, the Sharmas faced several challenges in India:
• Work-Life Imbalance: Long working hours, frequent weekend assignments, and 24/7 availability for global clients took a toll on their health and family time.
• Education for Children: Their children were enrolled in an elite private school costing over ₹3 lakh per year per child, yet they felt the curriculum focused more on rote learning than creativity or holistic development.
• Healthcare Problems: Neha’s father had a heart condition, and despite living in a metropolis, the family faced long waiting times and costly private care when emergencies arose.

The Decision to Leave

In 2021, Ankur availed himself of his company’s intra-corporate transfer program, so that he could relocate to Canada. For the family, this was a chance to start anew. They readily agreed to submit their application for PR.

Canada’s Appeal:

• Better work-life balance with fixed working hours and stronger labour laws.
• Public, low-cost education that inculcates the values of problem-solving and creativity.
• Free, universal health care system. This freed them from worrying about how they’d deal with a medical emergency.

Life After Losing Citizenship

The family moved to Toronto in 2022. They began living a life much better than before in all aspects. Their children excelled in the Canadian education system, which was rich in extracurricular activities.

Expensive medical bills or out-of-the-way places were no longer issues for them. Ankur and Neha had more time for their hobbies and taking the family on outings while living a healthier, happier life.

Neha put it simply: “We miss India’s vibrancy, but the quality of life here allows us to dream bigger for ourselves and our kids.”

Case 2: Dr. Ayesha Khan – The Healthcare Professional’s Irritation

Back story

Dr. Ayesha Khan was an oncologist with very deep expertise acquired in Mumbai. After completing her MBBS and MD at premier institutions in India, Ayesha Khan had spent 12 consecutive years practising oncology at public and private medical establishments. Her salary earned her the respect of ₹30 lakh a year. She enjoyed an enviable reputation among her contemporaries.

The Problem

However, Ayesha became more and more disenchanted with India’s health care system:

Overworked Hospitals: Often, she would be working 12-hour shifts in government hospitals, treating hundreds of patients daily, with minimal resources and outdated machines.

• Bureaucratic Red Tape: Ayesha was constantly delayed for advances in treatment and research projects.
• Patient Care: In private hospitals, where treatment was thousands of times expensive, she would often find herself agonising that she could not possibly provide life-saving therapies to such patients due to their inability to afford it.

The Decision to Leave

In 2021, Ayesha was invited to a medical conference in Sydney, Australia. She visited there and searched for jobs. The mismatch between an Australian well-funded healthcare system and the disastrous scenario in India was not comparable. So, she applied for a skilled worker visa and moved to Melbourne in 2022.

Australia’s Attractions:

• Access to all modern medical technology and facilities.
• A patient-centric healthcare system that is funded by the government.
• A very good work-life balance enabling her to pursue her research and professional growth.

Life After Losing Citizenship

In Melbourne, Ayesha joined a top oncology research institute, where she could finally focus on both patient care and clinical research. She said, “I loved serving patients in India, but the system made it impossible to do justice to my work. Here, I can make a difference without fighting against the system.”

Ayesha’s story highlights some of the problems India’s healthcare professionals face. Many are actually pulled offshore by improved infrastructure and working conditions.

Case Study 3: The Gupta Family – High Net Worth Entrepreneurs Pursuing Safety and Tax Relief

Background

The Guptas were a well-known business family in Delhi with a prospering chain of manufacturing units throughout North India. Their annual income was over ₹5 crore, and they were counted among India’s richest people. Luxury was the word for the life led by Rajesh Gupta and his wife Meenal, along with their two teenage children.

The Problem

However, with all this money, many things went wrong for the Guptas in India:

• Safety: Delhi, being one of the cities that was reporting a high rise in robberies and kidnap cases, the family did not feel safe. They had to spend a lot on private security for their house and office.
• Taxes: The family was spending about 30% of their income as taxes and felt the system was not giving enough returns in the form of infrastructure and public services.
• Global Mobility: Rajesh’s business demanded constant travel to Europe, but an Indian passport was too restrictive to be dealt with on visa applications.

Decision to Quit

In 2023, the Guptas planned to emigrate to Dubai under the UAE Golden Visa programme, which allowed for long-term residency based on investment.

UAE’s Allurement:

• They wouldn’t have to pay any form of income tax, meaning they would retain most of their wealth
• Safety and security of their family.
• World-class infrastructure and access to India for business.

Life After Losing Citizenship

The Guptas adapted easily to life in Dubai:

They felt secure, as their children attended high reputation international schools without a problem about crime.

Rajesh increased his business dealings across the Middle East, given the strategic geography of Dubai. The family could live in luxury without any bureaucratic red tape prevalent in India.

About the decision to move, Rajesh said, “India will always be home, but the stress of managing safety, taxes, and bureaucracy was too much. Dubai offers us the freedom to focus on what matters.” 

Case Study 4: Priya and Abhay Deshmukh – Educating the Next Generation

Background

Priya and Abhay Deshmukh, an educated middle-class couple residing in Pune, were a schoolteacher and an engineer in their respective careers. Together, the pair earned around ₹18 lakhs per annum. They were keen to give the best possible education to their two children.

Challenge

The Deshmukhs felt that the Indian education system was failing their children:

• Over-emphasis on rote learning: their daughter, an aspiring artist, found the rigid curriculum to be focused too much on grades rather than creativity.
• Abhay criticised the Indian education system mainly for lesser exposure to the world and lack of practical skills.
• High Costs: He and his wife spent such a large part of their earnings on fees for private schools, coaching classes, and extracurricular activities, despite maintaining an incredibly modest lifestyle.

In 2020, when they visited their relatives in Vancouver, they took the opportunity to learn about the education system of Canada. Impressed by the innovation and affordability, they applied for permanent residency through the Express Entry program of Canada.

Why Canada?

• Free public education with an emphasis on holistic development
• Opportunities to pursue a variety of interests, whether artistic, sporting, or academic and scientific
• Scholarships and grants available for higher studies

After Surrendering Citizenship

Since moving to Vancouver in 2021, the Deshmukhs have seen remarkable improvements:

• Their child thrived in school and participated in art exhibits and science fairs.
• Abhay got a better paying job and good life-work balance as a civil engineer.
• With this saving on education, the family was able to place some much-needed investment on her children’s future.

In India, we felt caught in this cycle of fees and competition. Here, our children can genuinely experience their potential.” 

What These Stories Reveal?

There are so many different stories behind the choice to renounce citizenship across case studies from better healthcare and education to bureaucracy and safety. While personal aspirations surely play a strong role, they further point to systemic issues in India that make people feel it’s time for life elsewhere. Each of these cases is an urgent call to India to deal with these gaps and retain its talent and wealth.

Comparing India with Other Popular Migration Destinations

Let’s look at how India measures up to the United States, Canada, and Australia on key quality-of-life metrics:

The Implications for India

Renunciation of citizenship is trending upward, and this carries severe implication. It erodes India’s human capital and its innovative capacity. When rich Indians move their money out of India, it impacts investment and tax collections. A mass exit has ominous undertones: It tells the world that India is not quite pleased being an emerging superpower.

How India Can Reverse This Trend?

To tackle this problem, India requires systemic change. Here are a few recommendations in this regard.

• Build more top-class institutes, increase funding and contemporize curricula. Strengthen the public health infrastructure and make it cost-effective. 
• Develop law enforcement and judicial efficiency.
• Tax policy should be transparent and business-friendly. 
• Diplomatic relations need to be further strengthened to enhance the rating of the Indian passport.

A wake-up call to policymakers, the increasing trend of Indians renouncing citizenship leaves few stones unturned. 

They do not move only for better opportunities but for a dignified life—something every citizen deserves. India needs to address its systemic challenges head-on to retain its talent, wealth, and global standing.

Only decisive action can reverse this silent exodus and truly realise the potential as a global leader.