Better opportunities in the country cited as a reason
One of the principal suppliers of manpower to most parts of the world, including the GCC states, fewer Indians are seeking passports - the essential document for overseas travel.
An Indian daily on Monday reported that for the first time in five years, demand for the much sought-after travel document by Indians seeking to eke out a better living overseas, has dropped.
"The big opportunities are in India; that's a fact," said P Arokiaswamy from the International Institute of Population Studies told Times of India in a clear indication that more Indians prefer to stay back and be part of the economic boom that helped the South Asian economic power tide over the global recession without much damage.
The newspaper quoted data from India's ministry of external affairs - under which all the passport offices function - revealed the climb down of passport numbers throughout the global financial meltdown.
An unnamed official from the ministry of external affairs was quoted as confirming that applications for new passports in the country's metros have been falling for the past few years.
Emirates Business
