Socio-Economic and Philanthropic Impact of Gujarati International Migration/Diaspora at Place of Origin: An Empirical Analysis of India

Naresh -, Central University of Gujarat

Gujarati is a well-known Indian diaspora that mostly emigrated as skilled, semi-skilled or businessmen to developed countries and African countries. This research paper examines the multifaceted impact of the Gujarati international migration or diaspora at the place of origin and how international emigration from Gujarat and migrant transnational networking have played a significant role in the developmental process at the place of origin. The impact could be easily seen by transferring the remitted amount of money at the household level and their strong social and community network ties across countries. Their socio-economic, philanthropic contribution and cultural linkages play very dynamic roles in changing the lives of households and left-behind families and communities. This paper is based on empirical data from rural and urban settings across districts, namely Kutch, Anand, and Gandhinagar of Gujarat. The empirical data revealed that some villages/towns are the most economically prosperous, getting the highest remittances and philanthropic contributions from emigrated Gujaratis from India. Madhapur is the wealthiest village in the Kutch district of Gujarat (India) in South Asia region. Results based on the empirical data and used mixed methodologies such as snowball sample data, case studies, interviews, narrative, key informant interviews etc.

Keywords: International Migration, Mixed methods research, Population and Development, Migrant Populations and Refugees

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