How Does India's Diaspora Support Compare to Pakistan's
India deploys a state. Pakistan deploys press releases.
India spends 5.4 times more per overseas citizen than Pakistan. India runs 12+ dedicated diaspora programs at scale. Pakistan held its first major Overseas Pakistanis Convention in April 2025 , 22 years after India started Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. The gap is structural, budgetary, and political.
This piece sits inside the Pakistani Workers Gulf Wages cluster, under the broader Pakistan Brain Drain: The Graveyard of Remittancers pillar.
The budget gap
| Metric | India | Pakistan | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign affairs budget (USD) | ~$2.6 billion | ~$135 million | India: 19x more |
| Diplomatic missions | 200+ | ~100 | India: 2x more |
| Diaspora population | ~32 million | ~9 million | India: 3.5x more |
| Spending per overseas citizen | ~$81 | ~$15 | India: 5.4x more |
India spends 5.4 times more per overseas citizen than Pakistan, despite having only 3.5x the diaspora population. The asymmetry is choice, not capacity.
What India offers, in full
India has built an elaborate, dedicated infrastructure for engaging its diaspora:
- Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) , biennial diaspora summit, established 2003
- Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra (PBK) , entire dedicated facility in New Delhi
- Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) , lifetime multiple-entry visa, property rights
- Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC) , up to $4,000/year
- Know India Programme , brings young diaspora to reconnect
- Madad Portal , online grievance system, every complaint tracked
- Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra , emergency assistance centres
- Indian Community Welfare Fund , direct support for distressed nationals
- Overseas Workers Resource Centres , local centres in destination countries
- e-Migrate System , transparent digitised recruitment
- Nirbhaya Fund , for women diaspora facing problems
- Indian Workers Resource Centres , Riyadh, Sharjah, Doha
What Pakistan has
Pakistan has approximately:
- Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) , exists, widely criticised as ineffective
- Workers Welfare Fund , largely consumed by administrative costs
- Roshan Digital Account , banking product, recent (2020), limited adoption
- NICOP , overseas ID card with frequent processing issues
- Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis (MOPHRD) , exists; officials publicly admit no policies to retain skilled workers
Pakistan's first major Overseas Pakistanis Convention was held in April 2025. 78 years after independence. 22 years after India started Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. The Convention is also the venue where Army Chief Asim Munir called the brain drain a "brain gain."
Crisis response comparison
| Crisis | India's response | Pakistan's response |
|---|---|---|
| COVID-19 (2020-21) | Vande Bharat Mission: 7 million repatriated | Inadequate; many funded their own return |
| Ukraine War (2022) | Operation Ganga: 22,500+ evacuated | Smaller, slower |
| Sudan Crisis (2023) | Operation Kaveri: 4,000+ evacuated | Limited operation |
| Israel-Hamas (2023) | Operation Ajay: rapid evacuation | No major operation |
India deploys a state. Pakistan deploys press releases.
The mission statement gap
India's Ministry of External Affairs describes itself as: "...dedicated to the multitude of Indian Nationals settled abroad. Driven by a mission of development through coalitions in a world without borders... Positioned as a 'Services' Division, it provides information, partnerships and facilitation for all matters related to Overseas Indians."
Pakistan's MoFA describes itself as "tasked in managing Pakistan's diplomatic and consular relations" , language of management, not mission.
India describes itself in terms of service to citizens. Pakistan describes itself in terms of diplomatic management. The language difference reveals the strategic difference.
The underlying reason
India's relationship with its diaspora is shaped by national ambition. India wants to be a global power and needs the knowledge, capital, networks, and political influence of its 32-million-strong diaspora. Diaspora engagement isn't charity , it's strategy.
Pakistan's relationship with its diaspora is shaped by national survival. Pakistan needs dollars to survive each quarter. The diaspora is an ATM, not a partner. The state cares about the diaspora only to the extent it produces remittances.
What the solution looks like
Pakistan does not need to invent anything. The full Indian playbook is open-source. The Brain Gain plan would copy and improve upon it:
- Annual Pakistani diaspora summit (replacing one-off conventions)
- A Pakistani Diaspora Affairs Ministry with operational authority
- Pakistani Workers Resource Centres in Riyadh, Sharjah, Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi
- A grievance portal modelled on Madad with public KPIs
- A Diaspora Welfare Fund modelled on Indian Community Welfare Fund
- OCI-equivalent overseas citizenship (lifetime multiple-entry, full property rights)
- Repatriation operations capability for international crises
The full plan is at The Real Brain Gain Plan.
In closing
India does not love its diaspora more than Pakistan does. India simply decided, twenty-two years ago, that the diaspora was a national asset worth investing in. Pakistan has not made that decision yet.
Until it does, the budget will keep being one-fifth of India's, the embassies will keep being less helpful than Bangladesh's, the Pakistani worker will keep earning less than the Indian one for the same job, and the next million bodies will keep coming back from the Gulf without a state behind them.
, Asad Baig
Frequently asked questions
How much does India spend on its diaspora compared to Pakistan? India spends approximately $81 per overseas citizen per year. Pakistan spends approximately $15. India spends 5.4 times more per overseas citizen than Pakistan does.
What is Pravasi Bharatiya Divas? Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is India's biennial diaspora summit, established in 2003. It commemorates Mahatma Gandhi's return from South Africa and brings together the Indian diaspora with the Indian government. Pakistan held its first equivalent convention in April 2025, 22 years later.
What is the Madad Portal? Madad is India's online grievance system for the Indian diaspora. Every complaint filed by an overseas Indian is tracked from intake to resolution. Pakistan has no equivalent at scale.
How does India's evacuation capability compare to Pakistan's? India repatriated 7 million citizens during COVID (Vande Bharat Mission), 22,500+ from Ukraine (Operation Ganga), 4,000+ from Sudan (Operation Kaveri), and ran rapid evacuations during the Israel-Hamas conflict. Pakistan's responses have been smaller, slower, or absent.
Sources and notes
- India Budget 2026-27 Notes on Demands for Grants No. 29
- CSEP analysis , "A Better but Still Insufficient MEA Budget"
- The Tribune India, March 17, 2026
- Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs documentation
- Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Gulf Migration Research Program, March 2025
- Indian Ministry of External Affairs annual reports
Related reading
Pillar: Pakistan Brain Drain: The Graveyard of Remittancers Parent cluster: Why Pakistani Workers Earn Less Than Indians in the Gulf
Sibling spokes:
- Why Pakistani Salaries Are Lower Than Indian Salaries in the Gulf
- Why Pakistan's Embassies Fail Their Own Workers
- What Are Bilateral Labour Agreements and Why Pakistan Lacks Strong Ones
Other pillars:
- The Human Cost of Pakistan's Brain Drain
- Why Pakistan's Remittance Economy Is a Development Trap
- The Real Brain Gain Plan
Thank you for reading.
, Asad Baig
Asad Baig