Indian diaspora philanthropy: A sociological perspective

Abstract

In recent years, a few scholars have undertaken research on Indian diaspora philanthropy. However, many of these studies have presented a cursory glimpse of the role played by the Indian diaspora through NGOs in promoting welfare, social development and emergency assistance in India. This paper attempts to examine the contours of Indian diaspora philanthropy with special reference to Indian Americans. The focus is on the Indian diaspora philanthropy which functions directly through NGOs in India at one level, and on the other hand, through United States based international NGOs with operations in India. It has been generally perceived that Indian diaspora funds were distributed through formal and mostly in informal channels for various development projects. It has also become trendy for Indian diaspora to give back to their villages and towns. Their inspirations for philanthropic activities are a combination of traditional concerns of family, kinship, castes and religious sentiments, and the idea of doing something good for the poor and the needy.