OCI Card Distribution by Indian Missions, Till January 31, 2025

The data reveals that the issuance of OCI cards is heavily concentrated through Indian diplomatic missions in Western, English-speaking countries. All ten of the top issuing missions are located in just four countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. This striking pattern aligns with historical migration trends and indicates that these nations host the largest and most engaged communities of the Indian diaspora. Collectively, these ten missions have processed approximately 2.86 million OCI applications, demonstrating the significant administrative scale of India’s diaspora engagement program.

Looking more closely at the distribution within these countries reveals important patterns about where Indian diaspora communities have concentrated. The London mission leads globally with 590,833 OCI cards issued, while Birmingham follows with 244,416. Together, these two UK missions account for approximately 29% of all OCI cards from the top ten issuing locations, reflecting the deep historical connection between India and the UK dating back to colonial times and subsequent waves of migration. Four US missions appear in the top ten (New York, San Francisco, Houston, and Chicago), collectively issuing approximately 1.26 million OCI cards—about 44% of the top ten total. The distribution across multiple major US cities indicates how widely dispersed the Indian American community has become across different regions of the United States. Toronto (313,254) and Vancouver (125,361) missions together account for approximately 15% of the top ten total, highlighting Canada’s importance as a destination for Indian immigrants, particularly in its largest metropolitan areas. Sydney (172,259) and Melbourne (157,733) missions together represent approximately 12% of the top ten total, demonstrating Australia’s significant role as a destination for the Indian diaspora in the Asia-Pacific region.

The mission locations strongly correlate with global economic and technology centres. San Francisco (347,985 OCI cards), which serves Silicon Valley, ranks third overall, reflecting the substantial presence of Indian professionals in the technology sector. Similarly, New York (445,483), London (590,833), and Toronto (313,254) are major global financial centres that have attracted skilled Indian professionals. This pattern suggests that OCI card acquisition is particularly common among professional-class immigrants who have settled in economically dynamic urban regions. The data clearly demonstrates that the Indian diaspora is heavily concentrated in major urban centres rather than being evenly distributed throughout their host countries. Each mission in the top ten serves a major metropolitan area with a population typically exceeding 2 million people. This urban concentration likely reflects both employment opportunities in these cities and the tendency for immigrant communities to establish cultural and social networks in areas where a critical mass of their compatriots already exists.

The high volume of OCI processing at these specific missions has important administrative implications. These top ten missions must manage significantly higher workloads compared to other Indian diplomatic posts worldwide. For example, the London mission’s processing volume (590,833) is more than twice that of Australia’s Sydney mission (172,259), suggesting substantial differences in staffing and resource requirements. This concentration may create processing bottlenecks during peak application periods and potentially affect service quality and processing times. North American missions collectively dominate OCI issuance, with six of the top ten missions (four in the US and two in Canada) accounting for approximately 59% of all OCI cards issued among the top ten. This reflects both the size of the Indian diaspora in North America and potentially the higher rate of OCI adoption among these communities. The San Francisco mission’s high ranking is particularly notable given that it serves a smaller overall metropolitan population than New York or London, suggesting an exceptionally high concentration or engagement rate of people of Indian origin in the Bay Area tech ecosystem.

The high demand for OCI cards in these specific locations may also reflect the immigration and visa policies of the host countries. The United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia have all had specific skilled immigration programs that have attracted Indian professionals over recent decades. The concentration of OCI issuance in these countries suggests that many Indian immigrants who initially moved abroad on temporary work visas have subsequently naturalized in their host countries while maintaining connections to India through OCI status. If current trends continue, we might expect continued growth in OCI issuance, particularly through missions serving emerging technology hubs and education centres that attract Indian students and professionals. Cities experiencing significant inflows of Indian immigrants may see their missions rise in the rankings in the coming years. Additionally, as more second and third-generation diaspora members become eligible for OCI status, we might see sustained growth in issuance even in regions where new immigration from India has stabilized.