Nearly half of all non-resident Indians (NRIs) working abroad say they have experienced race-based discrimination at the workplace, according to a new survey conducted by workplace community platform Blind.
The poll, titled “Is racism against Indians real or overblown?”, was posted on November 28 and received responses from 1,087 NRIs who self-identified as Indian and were living outside India.
The findings reveal that 44% of Indian professionals abroad have faced unfair treatment due to racism.
At major tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Intuit, the numbers were even higher, with more than half of the respondents acknowledging the existence of racial bias.
Among others, 26% agreed that discrimination exists but felt it rarely affects careers, while 30% said the issue is exaggerated or largely nonexistent.
Blind also highlighted another striking insight: NRIs face discrimination not just externally but internally as well.
Regional bias among Indians themselves emerged as the second most common form of discrimination, with many respondents citing prejudices between North and South Indian identities.
Age, gender, and caste-related discrimination were also widely reported across workplaces.
According to the survey, 44% felt discrimination negatively affected their performance reviews or promotions, and 21% said it led to social exclusion.
Despite these high numbers, very few took formal action. Only 1% filed official complaints, 6% escalated the issue to HR or management, 21% chose to quit their jobs, and a significant 72% said they did nothing.
Even among those who reported discrimination, the outcomes were discouraging: 80% said the situation either did not improve or worsened after raising the issue, while only 20% experienced any positive change.
The survey has renewed discussions around the everyday challenges Indian professionals face abroad; revealing how racism, regionalism, and deep-rooted biases continue to shape their workplace experiences.
