- Ultra-rich Indians seek overseas residency as part of long-term wealth strategy and succession planning
- Geopolitical risks, tax changes, and Covid-19 drive growing interest in investment immigration
- Preferred destinations include the US, Portugal, Greece, UAE, and Caribbean nations for mobility and education
For India's ultra-rich, moving abroad is no longer simply about expanding a business or sending children to a foreign university.
A growing number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNIs) are now looking at overseas residency and citizenship as part of their long-term wealth strategy. For some, it is about succession planning. For others, it is a retirement option or a way to keep a ready-made "Plan B" in another country.
Investment immigration advisory firm MyRCBI.com says the trend is gaining momentum among affluent Indian families.
The shift has been fuelled by geopolitical uncertainty, changing tax regimes and the experience of the Covid-19 pandemic. For wealthy families, global mobility is increasingly being treated as an asset in itself.
Why India's Rich Are Looking For A Plan B
Dhananjaysinh Chudasama, Founder and CEO of MyRCBI.com, said investment immigration is no longer driven only by overseas education or business expansion.
"Investment immigration is no longer driven only by education or business expansion. Today, many families are looking at it as a long-term strategic decision that provides greater freedom of movement, access to international opportunities for the next generation and, importantly, a practical Plan B should circumstances change unexpectedly," he said.
The potential applicants include entrepreneurs running businesses valued at more than Rs 100 crore, MDs and CEOs of financial institutions, and senior corporate executives earning multi-crore salaries.
For some families, the motivation is even more straightforward.
They want to make life easier for their children. Overseas residency can simplify education, future employment and relocation decisions. Others are thinking several years ahead and considering another country as a retirement base.
Business owners, meanwhile, may want the ability to relocate quickly if geopolitical or business conditions change.
US, Portugal, Greece Among Preferred Destinations
According to MyRCBI.com, Indian investors are exploring programmes in the US, Portugal, Greece, the UAE and several Caribbean nations.
The appeal varies from family to family. Permanent residency, citizenship or long-term residence rights can provide greater travel flexibility and access to international education and healthcare. For business families, such programmes can also support overseas expansion and broader wealth planning.
The global investment migration industry is already worth several billion dollars and continues to expand.
In the first five months of 2026 alone, citizens from 86 countries submitted applications across 47 investment migration programmes, according to industry estimates cited by MyRCBI.
India Emerges As A Major Source Market
India is now among the world's leading source markets for investment immigration, alongside countries such as China, the US and Türkiye, Chudasama said.
Indian families also make up a significant share of global applications under the US EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme.
Changes to regulations and greater transparency in several investment immigration programmes, particularly EB-5, have also helped improve investor confidence, according to Chudasama.
Gujarat Is Catching Up With Mumbai, Delhi
Investment immigration is still a relatively young market in India. But demand is expected to rise sharply over the next two to three years.
Mumbai and Delhi were among the early centres of demand. Gujarat has now emerged as another major market and is rapidly gaining ground after Maharashtra.
The development is not surprising. Gujarat has a large pool of entrepreneurs with businesses that increasingly operate beyond India's borders.
As these businesses go global, their owners are also thinking globally about where their families live, where their children study and how their wealth is structured.
"As Indian businesses expand globally, investment immigration is evolving from a niche offering into an important component of long-term wealth planning. We expect demand from Indian ultra-high-net-worth families to continue growing as they seek greater mobility, security and opportunities for future generations," Chudasama said.
For India's super-rich, then, a second residency or citizenship is increasingly less about leaving India and more about having the freedom to choose where the next chapter begins.
