Non Resident Indians or NRIs have been contributing to the process of driving social change in India since the pre-independence era. Even Mahatma Gandhi was an NRI at one point of time and he was an “influencer” for the freedom movement in India while working as a barrister in South Africa. The NRIs of 21st century are socially conscious and have a strong sense of connection with India. They are effectively and steadily channelising their hard-earned money to invest in India and a lot of it is going towards social causes. NRIs have the heart and the bent of mind to contribute their bit in the “Indian Growth Story”, including the social space. Today’s NRI class is also socially conscious, using their money and social cache to invest in India’s development story. Having learned the value of hard work, virtuous living, and prudent decision making in India, it is no surprise that NRIs are driven to give back to their homeland.

Here’s how NRIs can contribute to help India progress on the socio-economic fronts:

Making efficient use of their skills to help India
Non-Resident Indians across the world have earned the distinction of being affluent and industrious migrant group – whichever host countries they set up their base in. They are known for their high-level educational qualifications, affinity towards the IT sector, a penchant for science and technology and fine entrepreneurial skills and aptitude. When these aspects combine with ‘traditional Indian values’, the NRI community ensures that it maintains a great degree of peace wherever it thrives. It draws tremendous praise from Indians and is often looked up to as influencers, as idols. Thus NRIs have the social and financial wherewithal and the expertise to contribute to social welfare back home in India. This can be done by the means of supporting social welfare programmes run by prominent NGOs.

By transmitting remittances to India
Did you know that People of Indian Origin (PIO) contribute 5% of the Britain’s GDP, despite being 1.8 % of the population? In the fourth quarter of last financial year, analysts noted that Indian-Americans earned an annual income of $67.4 billion despite being a miniscule fraction of United States’ population. NRIs are extremely disciplined when it comes to transmitting remittances back home. According to a conservative estimate, $70 billion is approximately what NRIs remit to India every year.

Why NRIs should support an NGO like Save the Children
An NRI should support an NGO which has credibility and whose works speaks for it. Save the Children is one of India’s leading independent child rights organisations. Its work for children has been truly impactful, with the NGO improving the lives of more than 6.1 million children since 2008. It is an organisation which enjoys the respect of celebs, civil society, the media, and corporates. Save the Children’s work revolves around driving real and lasting change on the ground and helping communities march ahead. The NGO is known for maintaining high degree of transparency in its projects, incomes and spending. It is therefore an apt choice for the NRIs to lend their support to and thus,help change the lives of the most marginalised children in India.

The NGO has been formally deemed as a charitable institution of worth by the Indian government, via eligibility under Section 80-G of Income Tax Act and the donors also get the requisite donation tax benefit.

Conclusion
The Indian diaspora has been dutifully contributing to the social projects back home in India. By supporting NGOs like Save the Children, NRIs can lend a helping hand in uplifting thousands of deprived children and contribute overwhelmingly to the society’s socio-economic progress. And they cannot just donate online but also provide technical support to the projects. Remember, Every bit of help counts!