Indian diaspora right now feels very proud to be Indian, says FIIDS chief

Washington: Observing that there has been a paradigm shift in India’s stature at the global stage and it's all-round development in the last 10 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the head of a Indian diaspora think-tank on Friday said the global Indian community right now feel very proud to be an Indian.

“The Indian diaspora right now feels very proud to be an Indian and I think a lot of credit goes to the leadership of Prime Minister Modi in these last two terms. It really did a paradigm shift and infused confidence not just on Indian Americans but also people of Indian origin all over the world because they're now getting respected,” Khanderao Kand, Chief of Policy and Strategy at Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), told PTI on Friday.

“India is not just strong, but India's position on various issues is really appreciated. India is making awesome progress on the climate side. India is developing its infrastructure. Indian diaspora when visiting India now from airport to the infrastructure to education, they see remarkable progress. Definitely they have seen the movements like Make in India, Digital India, Startup India,” he said.

The Indian diaspora, he said, is in a unique position to comment on the progress of India and they can compare what is happening in the world affairs and world economy. India is the fifth largest economy of the world and now headed to be the third largest in the next few years.

“Indian American feel much better about the progress of India and the future of India. We see that Prime Minister Modi's government and under his leadership India can take to the next step and continue the journey,” he said.

“As Prime Minister Modi said that this (his 10 years of rule) has been just a trailer, movie is coming. We are hoping to see that movie in 2047 when India will complete 100 years (of its independence) and we are eager to see India as one of the most developed nations based on a sound civilizational foundation and can provide a unique role model to the world based on the diversity, pluralism, equality and the values that were coming from the Dharmic foundation,” Kand said.