What is the contribution of Indian Americans to US society and economy?

The latest ‘Small Community, Big Contributions, Boundless Horizons: The Indian Diaspora in the United States’ report says Indian Americans annually contribute $300 billion in tax revenues and own 60% of all US hotels.

Satya Nadella, Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft, gestures as he attends Microsoft's 'Young Innovators' Summit' in New Delhi, India February 26, 2020. (Photo: Reuters)

Indiaspora, a US-based non-profit organisation which details the contributions of Indian Americans to the US and their impact on the country, has released a new report. Titled, ‘Small Community, Big Contributions, Boundless Horizons: The Indian Diaspora in the United States’, the report quotes data from the Migration Policy Institute and says,

5.1 million Indian Americans represent the Indian diaspora including those born in India and in the US. The Indian diaspora in the US makes up only 1.5% of the population.

45% of them migrated to the US after 2010, while around 30% moved before 2000. The population is concentrated in New York State and California.

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72 unicorn startups out of 648 in the US are led by Indian migrants. The collective value of these startups exceeds $195 billion. They employ approximately 55,000 people (13% of unicorn employees).

60% of all US hotels are owned by Indian Americans. These hotels generate approximately $700 billion in revenue and create more than 4 million jobs, directly and indirectly, annually.

35%-50% of all convenience stores in the US are owned by Indian Americans. They generate $350-$490 billion in revenues each year.

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$300 billion is contributed in tax revenues by Indian Americans annually, on top of the $370-$460 billion in annual spending, which translates into a major economic wave in terms of sales tax, business growth, and support of employment.

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13% of all 2023 journal publications were co-authored by scientists of Indian origin in the US, up from 11% in 2015.

35 out of top 50 colleges in the US have an Indian American in their leadership ranks, including roles like deans, chancellors, provosts, and directors of colleges.

28 out of the 34 Scripps Spelling Bee winners were of Indian origin since 2000.

$3 billion has been donated by Indian Americans to US universities since 2008.

$1.5–2 billion annually is contributed by Indian Americans to charity.