Editorial: The great return debate

NEW DELHI: It is not easy for Indians to migrate to the US or other first-world countries. But it is more difficult to wind up everything and return to India. So, when an Indian tech billionaire exhorted Indians living in the US to return home, saying “Bharat Mata” is beckoning them, he stirred a debate.

The founder and former head honcho of Zoho Corporation has all the credentials to make the appeal, as he is not merely preaching but leading by example. His open letter on social media platform ‘X’ went viral and was also widely reported in the media.

Not surprisingly, Vembu, who is perceived to be close to the BJP and is celebrated by the right-wing ecosystem, pitched the idea by appealing to the patriotic instincts and fervour of Indians living abroad, who also tend to be the biggest supporters of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He wants them to deploy the technology leadership they have gained over the years in the US to guide the country and its youth towards prosperity. He implored them to “do it with a missionary zeal”.

Everyone knows that it is easier said than done. What lured them to the West in the first place is what India cannot offer them now or in the near future, despite the promises of “acche din” or good days since 2014. All those who peddle WhatsApp forwards with enthusiasm and conviction about the glowing Indian story are hit by brutal reality when asked to give up their American Dream and return home.

They immediately reel out a litany of tiresome complaints about unlivable cities, poor infrastructure, pollution, low salaries, unprofessional work culture, and, of course, retail corruption and the incompetent, dysfunctional governance and political and bureaucratic tyranny one has to deal with in everyday life.

The biggest grouse is reservations and how they are depriving them of their due share. Those who do return, mostly due to non-patriotic compulsions, seek shelter in “gated communities” that promise a “Western city lifestyle” and near-total insulation from the Indian reality.

Sridhar Vembu is not the first one to make such an appeal. Every now and then, Modi and other BJP leaders keep harping about the return of Indian-origin talent to the fabled New India, the land of honey and milk. It is the recurring theme, bordering on a monotonous refrain, at events such as Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas. Modi used to harp on “brain gain” that will reverse the brain drain. But the reality is that every year, a few thousand high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) leave for greener pastures abroad in pursuit of a better life and growth.

The changing political climate, the dangerously shrill anti-immigrant discourse, racial hatred, and economic crisis in the US and other Western countries could have an adverse impact on the Indian diaspora, forcing many to return to India. The question is whether the country’s economy is robust and vibrant enough to absorb the returnees and provide them with lucrative careers and a matching lifestyle.

The IT services industry is staring at an imminent churn due to the advent of AI technologies. Continued geopolitical uncertainty and turbulence are likely to trigger an economic cataclysm. The country is unable to generate employment for its freshly minted engineering and other graduates. In such a context, Vembu’s appeal will be just another passing social media kerfuffle.