Lok Sabha Question No. 4414 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-14
Subject: Indians Across the World
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: RABINDRA KUMAR JENA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4414 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.12.2016

## INDIANS ACROSS THE WORLD

## 4414. SHRI RABINDRA KUMAR JENA:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of Non-Resident Indians, Overseas Citizen of India and  Persons  of  Indian  Origin  currently  living  outside  India, country-wise; and

(b) the various benefits provided by the Government for all these three category of people and the details of funds spent in this regard during the last three years?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS [GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

(a) Since inception of the OCI scheme  in  December  2005, 23,60,626  PIOs  have  been  issued  OCI  Cards  till  06.12.2016.  A statement indicating estimated country-wise population of NRIs and PIOs, compiled on the basis of inputs received from Indian Missions abroad is attached as Annexure-I.

(b) PIOs  are  not  entitled  to  any  specific  benefits  unless  they become OCI Cardholders.  No funds are spent by the Government on extending benefits to NRIs and OCI Cardholders.  A statement about facilities/benefits  extended  by  the  Government  to  NRIs  and  OCI Cardholders is attached as Annexure-II.

*****

## Annexure-I

| SI. No.   | Country                            | Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)   | Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs)   | Total No. of Overseas Indians (Including NRIs &PIOs)   |
|-----------|------------------------------------|-------------------------------|-----------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| 1         | Afghanistan                        | 2,960                         | 9                                 | 2,969                                                  |
| 2         | Albania                            | 50                            | -                                 | 50                                                     |
| 3         | Algeria                            | 3,200                         | 19                                | 3,219                                                  |
| 4         | Andorra*                           | 140                           | 0                                 | 140                                                    |
| 5         | Angola                             | 1,500                         | 2,500                             | 4,000                                                  |
| 6         | Anguilla*                          | NA                            | 0                                 | 0                                                      |
| 7         | Antigua &Barbuda                   | 450                           | 300                               | 750                                                    |
| 8         | Argentina                          | 600                           | 1,800                             | 2,400                                                  |
| 9         | Armenia                            | 1,465                         | 23                                | 1,488                                                  |
| 10        | Aruba*                             | -                             | 1,000                             | 1,000                                                  |
| 11        | Australia                          | 2,41,000                      | 2,55,000                          | 4,96,000                                               |
| 12        | Austria and Montenegro             | 15,500                        | 4,500                             | 20,000                                                 |
| 13        | Azerbaijan                         | 1,694                         | 83                                | 1,777                                                  |
| 14        | Bahamas                            | 300                           | 100                               | 400                                                    |
| 15        | Bahrain                            | 3,11,439                      | 3,154                             | 3,14,593                                               |
| 16        | Bangladesh**                       | 10,385                        | 5                                 | 10,390                                                 |
| 17        | Barbados                           | 100                           | 2,114                             | 2,214                                                  |
| 18        | Belarus                            | 280                           | 60                                | 340                                                    |
| 19        | Belgium                            | 10,651                        | 8,000                             | 18,651                                                 |
| 20        | Belize*                            | 200                           | 1,300                             | 1,500                                                  |
| 21        | Benin                              | 1,563                         | 0                                 | 1,563                                                  |
| 22        | Bhutan                             | 60,000                        | 0                                 | 60,000                                                 |
| 23        | Bolivia                            | 50                            | 10                                | 60                                                     |
| 24        | Bonaire &Smaller Islands*          | -                             | 200                               | 200                                                    |
| 25        | Bosnia &Herzegovina                | 23                            | 1                                 | 24                                                     |
| 26        | Botswana**                         | 9,000                         | 3,000                             | 12,000                                                 |
| 27        | Brazil                             | 832                           | 393                               | 1,225                                                  |
| 28        | British Virgin Islands             | 75                            | 3                                 | 78                                                     |
| 29        | Brunei Darussalam                  | 11,500                        | 98                                | 11,598                                                 |
| 30        | Bulgaria                           | 100                           | 62                                | 162                                                    |
| 31        | Burkina Faso                       | 200                           | 5                                 | 205                                                    |
| 32        | Burundi                            | 465                           | 35                                | 500                                                    |
| 33        | Cambodia                           | 1,400                         | 10                                | 1,410                                                  |
| 34        | Cameroon                           | 245                           | 0                                 | 245                                                    |
| 35        | Canada                             | 1,84,320                      | 8,31,865                          | 10,16,185                                              |
| 36        | Cape Verde Islands*                | 20                            | 0                                 | 20                                                     |
| 37        | Cayman Islands                     | 1,500                         | 100                               | 1,600                                                  |
| 38        | Central African Republic *         | 10                            | 0                                 | 10                                                     |
| 39        | Chad                               | 120                           | 0                                 | 120                                                    |
| 40        | Chile                              | 850                           | 2,000                             | 2,850                                                  |
| 41        | China                              | 55,500                        | 511                               | 56,011                                                 |
| 42        | China (Hong Kong)                  | 45,000                        | 6,430                             | 51,430                                                 |
| 43        | China (Taiwan)*                    | 2,444                         | 128                               | 2,572                                                  |
| 44        | Colombia                           | 201                           | 174                               | 375                                                    |
| 45        | Comoros                            | 50                            | 200                               | 250                                                    |
| 46        | Congo (Dem. Rep. of)*              | 9,000                         | 25                                | 9,025                                                  |
| 47        | Congo (Republic of)*               | 350                           | 8                                 | 358                                                    |
| 48        | Cook Island*                       | 5                             | 1,000                             | 1,005                                                  |
| 49 50     | Costa Rica                         | 230                           | 20 0                              | 250 1,500                                              |
| 51        | Cote d'Ivore (Ivory Coast) Croatia | 1,500 42                      | 38                                | 80                                                     |

| 52      | Cuba                                           | 500             | 200          | 700            |
|---------|------------------------------------------------|-----------------|--------------|----------------|
| 53      | Curacao*                                       | -               | 1,500        | 1,500          |
| 54      | Cyprus                                         | 5,730           | 21           | 5,751          |
| 55      | Czech Republic                                 | 1,800           | 600          | 2,400          |
| 56      | Denmark                                        | 8,100           | 3,100        | 11,200         |
| 57      | Djibouti                                       | 350             | 0            | 350            |
| 58      | Dominica (Commonwealth                         | 50              | 500          | 550            |
| 59      | Dominican Republic                             | 100             | 75           | 175            |
| 60      | East Timor*                                    | 70              | 0            | 70             |
| 61      | Ecuador*                                       | 43              | 21           | 64             |
| 62      | Egypt                                          | 3,500           | 265          | 3,765          |
| 63      | EI Salavador                                   | 3               | 3            | 6              |
| 64      | Equatorial Guinea                              | 250             | 0            | 250            |
| 65      | Eritrea                                        | 1,000           | 3            | 1,003          |
| 66      | Estonia                                        | 450             | 50           | 500            |
| 67      | Ethiopia**                                     | 5,235           | 15           | 5,250          |
| 68      | Fiji                                           | 800             | 2,74,406     | 2,75,206       |
| 69      | Finland                                        | 5,500           | 1,500        | 7,000          |
| 70      | France                                         | 19,000          | 1,60,000     | 1,79,000       |
| 71      | France (Reunion Island)                        | 250             | 2,80,000     | 2,80,250       |
| 72      | France (Guadeloupe, St. Martinique, Mayotte) * | 420             | 66,800       | 67,220         |
| 73      | Gabon                                          | 100             | 10           | 110            |
| 74      | Gambia*                                        | 600             | 15           | 615            |
| 75      | Georgia Germany                                | 3,228 76,093    | 8 67,029     | 3,236 1,43,122 |
| 76      | Ghana                                          |                 |              |                |
| 77      |                                                | 10,000          | 0            | 10,000         |
| 78      | Greece**                                       | 12,319          | 181          | 12,500         |
| 79      | Grenada                                        | 200             | 5,000        | 5,200          |
| 80      | Guatemala                                      | 84              | 33           | 117            |
| 81      | Guinea (Republic of)                           | 700             | 0            | 700            |
| 82      | Guinea Bissau*                                 | 100             | 3            | 103            |
| 83      | Guyana                                         | 300             | 2,97,493     | 2,97,793 580   |
| 84      | Haiti                                          | 580             | 0            |                |
| 85      | Holy See*                                      | NA              | 0            | 0              |
| 86      | Honduras                                       | 13              | 2            | 15             |
| 87      | Hungary                                        | 902             | 98           | 1,000          |
| 88      | Iceland                                        | 225             | 80           | 305            |
| 89 90   | Indonesia Iran                                 | 10,000 4,000    | 1,00,000 150 | 1,10,000 4,150 |
| 91      | Iraq                                           | 10,000          | 0            | 10,000         |
| 92      | Ireland                                        | 17,000          | 9,000        | 26,000         |
| 93      | Israel                                         | 12,467          | 85,000       | 97,467         |
|         | Italy                                          |                 | 25,000       |                |
| 94      |                                                | 1,72,301        |              | 1,97,301       |
| 95 96   | Jamaica                                        | 4,000           | 70,000       | 74,000 28,717  |
| 97      | Japan Jordan                                   | 28,047 11,000   | 670 82       | 11,082         |
| 98      | Kazakhstan                                     | 5,500           | 250          | 5,750          |
|         |                                                | 21,500          | 78,000       | 99,500         |
| 99 100  | Kenya                                          |                 | 50           | 50             |
|         | Kiribati*                                      | -               |              | 12             |
| 101     | Korea (DPR) (Republic                          | 12              | 0 299        | 11,168         |
| 102 103 | Korea of) Kuwait                               | 10,869 9,09,062 | 1,590        | 9,10,652       |
| 104     | Kyrgyzstan                                     | 100             | 28           | 128            |
| 105     | Laos, PDR                                      | 425             | 75           | 500            |
| 106     | Latvia                                         | 604             | 20           | 624            |

| 107   | Lebanon                           | 8,000     | 30        | 8,030     |
|-------|-----------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 108   | Lesotho (Kingdom of )*            | 500       | 1,000     | 1,500     |
| 109   | Liberia                           | 3,000     | 0         | 3,000     |
| 110   | Libya                             | 1,500     | 2         | 1,502     |
| 111   | Liechtenstein (Principality of )* | 5         | 5         | 10        |
| 112   | Lithuania*                        | 250       | 50        | 300       |
| 113   | Luxembourg                        | 500       | 500       | 1,000     |
| 114   | Macedonia                         | 10        | 5         | 15        |
| 115   | Madagascar                        | 2,500     | 19,500    | 22,000    |
| 116   | Malaysia                          | 2,44,274  | 19,92,000 | 22,36,274 |
| 117   | Malawi                            | 2,500     | 8,000     | 10,500    |
| 118   | Maldives                          | 25,000    | 108       | 25,108    |
| 119   | Mali                              | 1         | 0         | 1         |
| 120   | Malta                             | 300       | 65        | 365       |
| 121   | Marshall Islands (Republic of)*   | 14        | 1         | 15        |
| 122   | Mauritania*                       | 200       | 0         | 200       |
| 123   | Mauritius                         | 10,500    | 8,84,000  | 8,94,500  |
| 124   | Mexico*                           | 1,750     | 250       | 2,000     |
| 125   | Micronesia*                       | 1         | 0         | 1         |
| 126   | Moldova                           | 190       | 10        | 200       |
| 127   | Mongolia                          | 150       | 5         | 155       |
| 128   | Montserrat                        | 40        | 200       | 240       |
| 129   | Morocco                           | 300       | 20        | 320       |
| 130   | Mozambique                        | 1,500     | 20,000    | 21,500    |
| 131   | Myanmar                           | 8,337     | 20,00,000 | 20,08,337 |
| 132   | Namibia                           | 200       | 59        | 259       |
| 133   | Nauru*                            | 2         | 0         | 2         |
| 134   | Nepal                             | 6,00,000  | 0         | 6,00,000  |
| 135   | Netherlands                       | 25,000    | 2,00,000  | 2,25,000  |
| 136   | Netherlands Antilles*             | -         | 2,700     | 2,700     |
| 137   | New Zealand                       | 75,000    | 1,25,000  | 2,00,000  |
| 138   | Nicaragua                         | 6         | 6         | 12        |
| 139   | Niger                             | 150       | 0         | 150       |
| 140   | Nigeria                           | 40,000    | 35        | 40,035    |
| 141   | Norway                            | 7,718     | 12,300    | 20,018    |
| 142   | Oman                              | 7,95,082  | 919       | 7,96,001  |
| 143   | Pakistan                          | 0         | 0         | 0         |
| 144   | Palau (Republic of)*              | 15        | 0         | 15        |
| 145   | Palestine (PLO)                   | 65        | 0         | 65        |
| 146   | Panama                            | 4,000     | 9,000     | 13,000    |
| 147   | Papua New Guinea*                 | 1,400     | 100       | 1,500     |
| 148   | Paraguay                          | 200       | 400       | 600       |
| 149   | Peru                              | 400       | 50        | 450       |
| 150   | Philippines                       | 1,00,000  | 15,000    | 1,15,000  |
| 151   | Poland                            | 4,000     | 600       | 4,600     |
| 152   | Portugal                          | 6,935     | 65,000    | 71,935    |
| 153   | Qatar                             | 6,00,000  | Nil       | 6,00,000  |
| 154   | Romania                           | 500       | 210       | 710       |
| 155   | Russian Federation                | 28,610    | 1,950     | 30,560    |
| 156   | Rwanda                            |           | 60        | 3,000     |
|       |                                   | 2,940     |           |           |
| 158   | San Marino*                       | NA        | 0         | 0         |
| 159   | Sao Tome and Principe (Rep. of)   | 50        | 0         | 50        |
| 160   | Saudi Arabia                      | 30,50,000 | 3,567     | 30,53,567 |
| 161   | Senegal                           | 1,100     | 31        | 1,131     |

| 162   | Sarbia *                    | 25          | 19          | 44          |
|-------|-----------------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| 163   | Seychelles                  | 5,000       | 5,000       | 10,000      |
| 164   | Sierra Leone                | 900         | 50          | 950         |
| 165   | Singapore                   | 3,50,000    | 3,00,000    | 6,50,000    |
| 166   | Slovak Repulic              | 130         | 50          | 180         |
| 167   | Slovenia                    | 80          | 50          | 130         |
| 168   | Soloman Islands*            | 20          | 0           | 20          |
| 169   | Somalia                     | 100         | 0           | 100         |
| 170   | South Africa                | 60,000      | 15,00,000   | 15,60,000   |
| 171   | Spain                       | 35,308      | 20,000      | 55,308      |
| 172   | Sri Lanka                   | 14,000      | 16,00,000   | 16,14,000   |
| 173   | St. Kitts and Nevis         | 250         | 1,100       | 1,350       |
| 174   | St. Lucia                   | 250         | 5,005       | 5,255       |
| 175   | St. Maartin*                | -           | 5,300       | 5,300       |
| 176   | St. Vincent &the Grenadines | 50          | 3,000       | 3,050       |
| 177   | Sudan                       | 3,400       | 100         | 3,500       |
| 178   | South Sudan                 | 500         | Nil         | 500         |
| 179   | Suriname                    | 150         | 1,54,321    | 1,54,471    |
| 180   | Swaziland                   | 500         | 500         | 1,000       |
| 181   | Sweden                      | 12,500      | 9,000       | 21,500      |
| 182   | Switzerland                 | 13,295      | 6,738       | 20,033      |
| 183   | Syria                       | 107         | 0           | 107         |
| 184   | Tajikistan                  | 590         | 20          | 610         |
| 185   | Tanzania                    | 10,000      | 50,000      | 60,000      |
| 186   | Thailand                    | 20,000      | 1,75,000    | 1,95,000    |
| 187   | Togo                        | 500         | 10          | 510         |
| 188   | Tonga*                      | 20          | 4           | 24          |
| 189   | Trinidad &Tobago            | 1,800       | 5,55,000    | 5,56,800    |
| 190   | Tunisia                     | 121         | 11          | 132         |
| 191   | Turkey                      | 847         | 64          | 911         |
| 192   | Turkmenistan                | 309         | -           | 309         |
| 193   | Turks &Caicos Islands       | 200         | 35          | 235         |
| 194   | Tuvalu*                     | -           | 50          | 50          |
| 195   | Uganda                      | 23,500      | 6,500       | 30,000      |
| 196   | Ukraine                     | 5,737       | 317         | 6,054       |
| 197   | UAE                         | 28,00,000   | 3,751       | 28,03,751   |
| 198   | UK                          | 3,25,000    | 15,00,000   | 18,25,000   |
| 199   | USA                         | 17,39,818   | 39,03,296   | 60,68,114   |
| 200   | Uruguay                     | 500         | 30          | 530         |
| 201   | Uzbekistan                  | 650         | 43          | 693         |
| 202   | Vanuatu*                    | 75          | 25          | 100         |
| 203   | Venezuela                   | 75          | 40          | 115         |
| 204   | Vietnam                     | 2,600       | 2,120       | 4,720       |
| 205   | Yemen                       | 400         | 10,000      | 10,400      |
| 206   | Zambia                      | 5,000       | 15,000      | 20,000      |
| 207   | Zimbabwe                    | 500         | 9,000       | 9,500       |
|       | TOTAL                       | 1,34,53,533 | 1,78,58,825 | 3,17,37,358 |

* Info as per 2015 data ** Only PIO info as per 2015 data *****

## FACILITIES TO NRIs*

* On the basis of inputs received from Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

The  Department  of  Industrial  Policy  &  Promotion  formulates  FDI  policy across  various  sectors,  including  investments  from  NRIs.  The  extant  policy  allows special  dispensation  for  NRI  investments  in  construction  development  and  civil aviation sector. Further, the investment made by Non-Resident Indians under schedule 4  of  FEMA  (Transfer  or  issue  of  Security  by  Persons  Resident  Outside  India) Regulations is deemed to be domestic investment at par with the investment made by residents.

## BENEFITS TO OCIs

Facilities  provided  to  Overseas  Citizens  of  India  (OCI)  Cardholders  under Section 7B (1) of the Citizenship Act, 1955 are as follows:-

- -Multiple entry lifelong visa
- -Exemption from registration in FRRO irrespective of duration of stay
- -Parity  with  NRIs  in  economic,  financial  and  educational  fields  in  India  except acquisition of agricultural or plantation property
- -Parity with NRIs
-  for inter-country adoption of Indian children
-  for air fares in domestic sector
-  for entry fee to national parks and wild life sanctuaries in India
-  for visiting national monuments, historical sites and museums in India
-  for practice as medical professionals, advocates, architects and CAs
-  to appear in AIPMT and other entrance tests for technical courses in India
- -Permission to OCIs to file an affidavit to declare their address in India

*****