The book presentation and subsequent panel discussions on “Emerging Diaspora Opportunities and Challenges” and “Leveraging the Diaspora as a Source of Innovation, Technology, and Research” was held in collaboration with FICCI and the World Bank's KNOMAD. Speakers included: Dr. Didar Singh; Dilip Ratha (Head of World Bank's KNOMAD and Lead Economist, Migration & Remittances Unit, World Bank); Jacob Kirkegaard (Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics); Dr. Devesh Kapur (Director, Center for the Advanced Study of India at the University of Pennsylvania); Satyam Priyadarshy (President, TiE DC).  

“Politics of Migration: Indian Emigration in a Globalised World”studies the politics surrounding Indian emigration from the 19th century to the present day. Bringing together data and case studies from across five continents, it moves beyond economic and social movers of migration, and explores the role of politics-both local and global-in shaping diaspora at a deeper level.  The book is highly recommended as invaluable to scholars and students of migration and diaspora studies, development studies, international politics, and sociology as well as policy-makers, and non-governmental organizations in the field. 

Dr. Didar Singh spoke of “immigration as a matter of immediate importance and considerable contention. The issue of migration is on the forefront of the American public and political consciousness as well. Presidential campaign rhetoric has repeatedly highlighted concerns about refugees and immigration, while the US Congress has held ongoing hearings on contentious migration labor policy issues, such as the H1-B system”. 

—Ashook Ramsaran in Washington