Introduction

This introduction sketches the major forces that have determined the shifts and given rise to new perspectives on the Indian diaspora. Shifts and perspectives are intertwined and have affected the old diaspora. The forces and perspectives have changed the way we look at the diaspora that is this topic of the book. The book is therefore divided into three parts: new perspectives on the history of the diaspora, newly emerging perspectives, and global forces. This introduction then briefly outlines the features of the old diaspora and highlights the most conspicuous new forces that typify the new Indian diaspora today.