with box belowHyderabad: Even as North America remains one of the most sought-after destinations for Indians seeking better career opportunities, official data points to a disturbing trend — a growing number of Indian nationals are dying by suicide abroad.According to data tabled by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in the Rajya Sabha, more than 100 Indian nationals died by suicide in the US and Canada between 2023 and 2025. This accounts for nearly 5% of the 1,850 suicides involving Indian nationals reported worldwide during the three-year period.Experts say the numbers raise concerns over the mounting mental health challenges faced by the Indian diaspora, with multiple studies hinting at a mental health crisis among Indians in North America. A recent Amity University study found that Indians living in the US and Canada, particularly those aged 21 to 30 years, had higher levels of depression and anxiety than people in India.According to MEA data, North America is home to more than 5.5 million people of Indian origin, including over three lakh Indian students in the US and around four lakh in Canada.Career counsellors and psychologists point out that many of these students take education loans ranging from ₹50 lakh to ₹80 lakh to finance their overseas education, expecting to recover the investment through part-time work and post-study employment. However, with the slowdown in the job market, shrinking part-time work opportunities and rising living costs, many have been left struggling to repay these loans or even meet their basic living expenses.“Until 2022, such cases were relatively uncommon. There has been a year-on-year increase, with a much sharper rise in 2025 as the job market became more challenging. In some cases, students have also turned to substance abuse while coping with isolation and anxiety,” said Ravi Lothumalla, a career counsellor based in Dallas.He also expressed concern over the rapid expansion of the overseas education industry in India.“With easy access to education loans and aggressive marketing by an estimated 10,000 overseas education consultants and agents, a large number of students have migrated to the US over the past five years,” Lothumalla said.Psychiatrists in India say they are increasingly seeing Indian students and professionals reaching out for help, often through online consultations. Most of them are battling similar issues — depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.“Several Indian students and working professionals in the US whom I have treated have spoken about easy access to drugs and extreme social isolation. Combined with severe financial stress, job losses and uncertainty over their future, these factors are pushing some towards suicidal thoughts and even suicide attempts,” said Charan Teja Koganti, senior consultant psychiatrist at KIMS Hospitals.Koganti, who has been travelling to the US periodically over the past 15 years, said he has noticed a marked deterioration in the mental well-being of the Indian diaspora in recent years.“Over the past few years, I have seen growing stress among Indians due to racism, job insecurity, immigration and citizenship uncertainties, and academic pressure. Together, these issues are taking a serious toll on their mental health,” he added.BOX: Over 2,500 Indians evacuated from IranAs many as 2,500 Indian nationals were evacuated from Iran through Armenia following the outbreak of the US-Iran conflict, as part of the government’s efforts to bring citizens stranded in the region back to safety.MEA said that keeping in view the evolving situation in West Asia, the government implemented various measures to ensure safety, security and well-being of Indian nationals in the region. Government issued regular advisories to provide information on the situation and the available travel options, as well as guidance and information on contacting the Indian Embassy/ Consulate for assistance.“Indian Embassies and Consulates in the region set up 24×7 emergency helpline numbers to assist Indian nationals. The MEA had also set up a dedicated Special Control Room to monitor the situation, respond to queries from the affected Indian nationals and their families, and for real-time coordination with Indian Embassies and Consulates for emergency cases,” said Kirti Vardhan Singh, minister of state, MEA.
