Non Resident Indian Nationals generally fall under the following broad categories :

• Indian citizens who stay abroad for employment or for carrying on any business or vocation or for any other purpose in circumstances indicating an indefinite period of stay outside India.
• Indian citizens working abroad on assignments with foreign Governments, Government agencies or international/multinational agencies like United Nations Organisation (UNO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank etc.
• Officials of Central and State Governments and public sector undertaking deputed abroad on assignments with foreign Government/agencies/organisations or posted to their own offices (including Diplomatic Missions) abroad.

NOTE: Non-resident Indians become resident in Indian only when they come back to India for employment or for carrying on in India any business or vocation or for any other purpose indicating an indefinite period of stay in India. They are not regarded as persons resident in India during their short visits to India say. on holiday, leave etc.

2. PERSONS OF INDIAN ORIGIN (PIOs)

For the purpose of the facility of opening and maintenance of various types of bank accounts and making investments in shares and securities in India, a foreign citizen (not being a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh) is deemed to be a person of Indian origin if : -

• He, at any time, held an Indian passport, or
• He or either of his parents or any of his grand parents was a citizen of India by virtue of the Constitution of India or Citizenship Act 1955 (57 of 1955).

A spouse (not being a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh) of an Indian citizen or of a person of Indian origin is also treated as a person of Indian origin for the above purpose provided the bank accounts are opened or investments in shares/securities in India are made by such persons only jointly with their NRI/PIO Spouses.