Countries with heads of state or government of Indian descent (past or present)

This article contains a list of Wikipedia articles about politicians in countries outside of Indian subcontinent who are of Indian origin.

Australia

Canada

• Bharat Agnihotri – Alberta Liberal MLA
• Hardial Bains – founder and leader of the Marxist–Leninist Party of Canada, 1970–1997
• Harry Bains – British Columbia New Democratic MLA
• Navdeep Bains – Liberal Member of Parliament
• Bardish Chagger - LiberalMember of Parliament
• Bas Balkissoon
• Gulzar Singh Cheema – British Columbia and Manitoba MLA
• Raj Chouhan – British Columbia NDP MLA
• Herb Dhaliwal – Liberal MP; first Indo-Canadian cabinet minister
• Ruby Dhalla – Liberal MP
• Vic Dhillon – Ontario Liberal Ontario MPP
• Ujjal Dosanjh – former Premier of British Columbia; first Indo-Canadian premier; former federal Minister of Health
• Parm Gill – Conservative Member of Parliament for Brampton—Springdale
• Raminder Gill – former Ontario Progressive Conservative MPP and federal Conservative candidate
• Baljit Gosal – MP and Minister of State for Sports
• Gurmant Grewal – former Conservative MP, half (with Nina, listed below) of the first married couple to serve as MPs in the same session of Parliament
• Nina Grewal – Conservative MP, half (with Gurmant) of the first married couple to serve as MPs in the same session of Parliament
• Dave Hayer – former British Columbia BC Liberal MLA for Surrey Tynehead
• Bidhu Jha – Manitoba NDP MLA
• Kamal Khera – Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for Brampton West and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue
• Kuldip Singh Kular – Ontario Liberal MPP
• Harry Lali – BC NDP MLA
• Shuvaloy Majumdar – Conservative MP
• Gurbax Singh Malhi – Liberal MP
• Harinder Malhi – Liberal MP
• Rob Nijjar – former BC Liberal MLA
• Deepak Obhrai – Alberta Conservative Party MP
• Raj Pannu – former leader of the Alberta New Democrats; first Indo-Canadian leader of a political party
• Harjit Singh Sajjan – Member of Parliament representing the riding of Vancouver South and Minister of National Defense
• Randeep Sarai – Member of Parliament for the federal electoral district Surrey Centre
• Shiraz Shariff – Alberta Progressive Conservative MLA
• Moe Sihota – former British Columbia NDP MLA and television host
• Jaggi Singh – anti-globalization activist
• Jagmeet Singh – former NDP MLA for Bramlea- Malton (Ontario); elected leader of the Federal New Democratic Party (NDP); first person of Indian descent to be elected leader of a prominent party at the national level in North America
• Harinder Takhar – Ontario Liberal MPP and Minister of Transportation
• Tim Uppal – Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Edmonton Mill Woods
• Murad Velshi – former Ontario Liberal MPP
• Prasad Panda – UCP MLA for Calgary, Alberta
• Judi Tyabji – Indian(Bengali)-Canadian politician & was the youngest elected Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from Progressive Democratic Alliance party
• Chandra Arya – Liberal MP from Napean

Fiji

• Mahendra Chaudhry – first Indo-Fijian Prime Minister (1999–2000)
• Ahmed Ali (1938–2005) – several times a cabinet minister
• George Shiu Raj – Cabinet Minister
• Anand Singh – Fiji Labour Party Senator and former Attorney-General
• Vijay R. Singh – former Cabinet Minister
• Sidiq Koya – Leader of the Opposition National Federation Party
• Dorsami Naidu – Leader of the National Federation Party
• A. D. Patel (1905–1969)- founder of the National Federation Party
• Pramod Rae – General Secretary of the National Federation Party
• Jai Ram Reddy – Leader of the National Federation Party (1977–1987; 1992–1999); judge
• Prem Singh – former NFP leader
• Raman Pratap Singh – National Federation Party leader
• Amjad Ali – FLP politician
• Narendra Arjun – former NFP parliamentarian
• Anand Babla – FLP politician
• Pratap Chand – FLP politician
• Gaffar Ahmed – FLP politician
• Gunasagaran Gounder – FLP politician
• Hafiz Khan – businessman and Senator
• James Shri Krishna – FLP politician
• Prince Gopal Lakshman – FLP politician
• Surendra Lal – FLP politician
• Sanjeet Chand Maharaj – FLP politician
• Perumal Mupnar – FLP Member of Parliament
• Shivlal Nagindas – Labasa businessman and former Senator
• Damodaran Nair – FLP Member of Parliament
• Gyani Nand – FLP politician
• Ragho Nand – FLP politician
• Udit Narayan – FLP politician
• Krishna Prasad – FLP Member of Parliament
• Ram Sharan – FLP politician
• Gyan Singh – FLP Member of Parliament
• Pravin Singh – FLP Member of Parliament
• Satendra Singh – FLP politician
• Lekh Ram Vayeshnoi – Fiji Labour Party parliamentarian

Germany

• Ashok-Alexander Sridharan – Mayor of Bonn

Guyana

• Dale Bisnauth
• Ronald Gajraj
• Cheddi Jagan – 4th President of Guyana (1992-1997)
• Bharrat Jagdeo – 7th Prime Minister (1999) and 7th President (1999-2011)
• Samuel Insanally
• Joey Jagan
• Edward Luckhoo
• Lionel Luckhoo – politician, diplomat, and lawyer
• Donald Ramotar – 8th President (2011-2015)
• Moses Nagamootoo – 8th Prime Minister of Guyana (2015-2020)
• Irfaan Ali – 10th President (2020–present)
• Peter Ramsaroop
• Shridath Ramphal – Commonwealth Secretary General (1975-1990)
• Rupert Roopnaraine

Ireland

• Leo Varadkar – Taoiseach (2017–2020; 2022–present)

Jamaica

• Kamala-Jean Gopie

Japan

• Yogendra Puranik

Kenya

• Sunjeev Kour Birdi – Member of Parliament
• Alibhai Mulla Jeevanjee – merchant, politician and philanthropist
• Pio Gama Pinto – journalist, politician and freedom fighter
• Fitz Remedios Santana de Souza

Malaysia

• Tun Mahathir Mohamed – Prime Minister of Malaysia (1981-2003, 2018-2020)
• V. David – politician
• K. L. Devaser – fourth president of the Malaysian Indian Congress
• P. Kamalanathan – Member of Parliament Hulu Selangor and Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education; Central Working Committee Member of the Malaysian Indian Congress; founding member of PUTERA MIC
• Datuk M. Kayveas – president of PPP and deputy minister
• Devaki Krishnan – first Malaysian Indian woman to become a municipal councillor
• Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan – former politician
• Tan Sri V. Manickavasagam – sixth president of the Malaysian Indian Congress and former Minister of Communication
• M. Manoharan – former member of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly; known for his involvement with HINDRAF
• K. S. Nijhar – Member of Parliament
• Datuk G. Palanivel – Deputy Minister of Women and Family Development and deputy president of Malaysian Indian Congress
• Tan Sri M. G. Pandithan – founding President of the Indian Progressive Front (IPF)
• K. Parthiban – state assemblyman for Ijok (2007–2008)
• Datuk K. Pathmanaban – politician and former Deputy Minister of Labour and founder of Melaka Manipal Medical College
• Sivarasa Rasiah – human rights lawyer and vice-president of the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (People's Justice Party)
• Tun V. T. Sambanthan – one of the founding fathers of independent Malaya and Founder of National Land Finance Co-op.(NLFCS).
• D. R. Seenivasagam – founder of PPP and politician
• Kula Segaran – MP for Ipoh Barat and DAP National Vice Chairman
• Karpal Singh – chairman of opposition Democratic Action Party and member of parliament
• Datuk K. Sivalingam – former member of the state executive council of Selangor
• John Thivy – freedom fighter and founding president of the Malayan Indian Congress
• E. E. C. Thuraisingham – politician of pre-Independence Malaysia
• Tan Sri G. Vadiveloo – former Speaker of the Senate
• Datuk Seri Samy Vellu – Works Minister in the Malaysian cabinet and president of the Malaysian Indian Congress

Mauritius

• Sookdeo Bissoondoyal – politician and one of the three founding fathers of independent Mauritius
• Dayendranath Burrenchobay – Governor-General of Mauritius (1978-1983)
• Jaya Krishna Cuttaree – diplomat
• Madun Dulloo – diplomat
• Anerood Jugnauth – Prime Minister (2000-2003, 2014-2017) and President of Mauritius (2003-2012)
• Pravind Jugnauth – Prime Minister of Mauritius (2017–present)
• Dev Manraj – former Financial Secretary
• Abdool Razack Mohamed – one of the three founding fathers of independent Mauritius
• Kailash Purryag – President (2012-2015)
• Navin Ramgoolam – Prime Minister (1995-2000, 2005-2014)
• Seewoosagur Ramgoolam – Prime Minister (1968-1982) and one of the three founding fathers of independent Mauritius
• Veerasamy Ringadoo – President (1992)
• Cassam Uteem – President (2002)
• Ameenah Gurib-Fakim – President (2015-2018)
• Prithvirajsing Roopun – President (2019–present)

Netherlands

• Tanja Jadnanansing – Labour Party politician

New Zealand

• Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi – Member of Parliament
• Parmjeet Parmar – Member of Parliament
• Anand Satyanand – first Governor-General of New Zealand of Asian descent (2006-2011)
• Priyanca Radhakrishnan – Member of Parliament

Papua New Guinea

• Sasindran Muthuvel – Governor of West New Britain

Philippines

• Ramon Bagatsing - former Congressman and Mayor of Manila (1972-1986)

Portugal

• Jorge Barreto Xavier (born 1965) - Secretary of State of Culture (2012-2015)
• Kalidás Barreto (1932-2020) - MP for Castanheira de Pera
• António Maria de Bettencourt Rodrigues (1854-1933) - Judge and diplomat
• António Costa (born 1961) – Prime Minister of Portugal (2015–present)
• Narana Coissoró (born 1933) - Member of Parliament
• Alfredo Bruto da Costa (1938-2016) - Minister of Health and Welfare (1979-1980)
• Alfredo Nobre da Costa (1923-1996) - Prime Minister (1978)
• Francisco Luís Gomes (1829-1869), Member of Português Cortes Gerais for Goa
• João Leão (born 1974) - Finance Minister (2020-2022)
• Jaime Valfredo Rangel (1897-1959) - Diplomat
• Gabriel Mithá Ribeiro (born 1965) - MP for Leiria District
• Rosendo Ribeiro (1871-1951) - Vice-Consul of Portugal in Nairobi
• Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho (1936-2021) - Leader in Portuguese provisional government after the Carnation Revolution

Singapore

• Vivian Balakrishnan – Minister of Community Development, Youth and Sports; former CEO of Singapore General Hospital
• S. Dhanabalan – Chairman of Temasek Holdings and DBS Bank, former Minister of National Development, Trade and Industry and Foreign Affairs; tipped by Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew as one of the four men he considered as a possible successor
• James Gomez – senior leader in the main opposition party (the Workers Party); founder of Think Centre, a political NGO
• S. Iswaran – Minister for Communications and Information, former Managing Director of Temasek Holdings
• S. Jayakumar – Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Law and co-ordinating Minister for Security; former Foreign Minister and ambassador to the United Nations, and Dean of the Law School in Singapore
• J. B. Jeyaretnam – former Leader of the Opposition; former MP; first person to break the PAP monopoly in parliament in 1984; former magistrate
• Devan Nair – third President of Singapore (1981–1985), father of the modern trades union movement in Singapore
• Hri Kumar Nair – former MP
• S. R. Nathan – 6th President of Singapore (1999-2011)
• Murali Pillai – MP
• Indranee Rajah – Minister in Prime minister's Office, Senior Counsel of Supreme Court of Singapore
• S. Rajaratnam – former Senior Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Labour and Culture; co-founder of the Peoples Action Party and Association of South East Asian Nations; author of the Singapore Pledge; one of the pioneer leaders of modern Singapore
• Balaji Sadasivan – Junior Minister
• K. Shanmugam – Minister for Home Affairs, former Senior Counsel of Supreme Court of Singapore
• Tharman Shanmugaratnam – 9th and current President of Singapore. Former Minister of Education and former head of Singapore's de facto central bank
• Pritam Singh – Leader of the Opposition and MP
• Halimah Yacob – 8th President of Singapore (2017–2023)

Seychelles

• Wavel Ramkalawan – President of Seychelles (2020–present)
• Satya Naidu- first Hindu member of Seychelles National Assembly.^[1]

South Africa

• Yusuf Dadoo – doctor and politician
• Frene Ginwala – former speaker of the National Assembly
• Pregs Govender
• Ronnie Govender
• Ahmed Kathrada – political activist
• Jody Kollapen
• Mac Maharaj – political activist and former MP
• George Naicker
• Monty Naicker
• Amma Naidoo
• Indira Naidoo
• Naransamy Roy Naidoo
• Shanti Naidoo
• Thambi Naidoo
• Xavier Naidoo
• Billy Nair
• Dullah Omar – politician
• Aziz Pahad – political activist and former MP
• Essop Pahad – political activist and former MP
• Radhakrishna Padayachi – Deputy Minister for Communication
• Ebrahim Patel – Minister of Economy
• Enver Surty – Deputy Minister of Basic Education
• Thillaiaadi Valliammai

Spain

• Robert Masih Nahar, senator in the Spanish Senate

Suriname

• Ashwin Adhin – Vice President (2015-2020)^[2]
• Jagernath Lachmon – Speaker of the National Assembly of Suriname (1987-1996, 2000-2001)
• Marijke Djwalapersad – Speaker of the National Assembly (1996-2000)
• Fred Ramdat Misier – President of Suriname (1982–1988)
• Errol Alibux – Prime Minister of Suriname (1983-1984)
• Pretaap Radhakishun – Prime Minister (1986-1987)
• Chan Santokhi – President (2020–present)
• Ram Sardjoe – Speaker of the National Assembly (2001-2005) and Vice President (2005-2010)
• Ramsewak Shankar – President (1988–1990)

Switzerland

• Nik Gugger – adopted from Karnataka; first Indian-origin members of the Swiss parliament^[3]

Tanzania

• Hasnain Dewji
• Mohammed Dewji
• Wolfgang Dourado
• Parmukh Singh Hoogan
• Amir H. Jamal
• Ismail Jussa
• Al Noor Kassum
• Shanif Mansoor
• Hasnain Murji
• Mohamed Raza
• Muhammad Sanya
• Abdulkarim Shah
• Jitu Soni
• Haroun Suleiman
• Shaffin Sumar

Thailand

• Santi Thakral – former president of the Supreme Court of Thailand and former member of the Privy Council of Thailand

Trinidad and Tobago

• Raziah Ahmed – President of the Senate (2015)
• Faris Al-Rawi – Attorney General (2015-2022)
• Linda Baboolal – President of the Senate (2002-2007)
• Rudranath Capildeo
• Simbhoonath Capildeo
• Carol Cuffy-Dowlat
• Winston Dookeran
• George F. Fitzpatrick
• Hardeo Hardath – former MP
• Noor Hassanali – President (1987-1997)
• Christine Kangaloo – President (2023-present)
• Franklin Khan
• Fuad Khan
• Dhanayshar Mahabir
• Devant Maharaj
• Ramesh Maharaj
• Kenneth Ramchand
• Bhadase Maraj
• Ralph Maraj
• Wade Mark
• Roodal Moonilal
• Basdeo Panday – Trade Union leader and Prime Minister (1995-2001)
• Kamla Persad-Bissessar – Prime Minister (2010-2015)
• Mohammed Faisal Rahman
• Surujrattan Rambachan
• Anand Ramlogan
• Adrian Cola Rienzi (Krishna Deonarine Tiwari)
• Raffique Shah – Leader of the Opposition
• Cindy Devika Sharma
• Ashford Sinanan

United Kingdom

• Baron Bhattacharyya – Member of the House of Lords
• Mancherjee Bhownagree – Conservative MP; second Indian MP in the House of Commons
• Harpal Brar - Chairman of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
• Nirj Deva – Conservative MEP
• Parmjit Dhanda – Labour MP
• Rajani Palme Dutt - General Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain
• Piara Khabra – Labour MP
• Ashok Kumar – Labour MP
• Claude Moraes – Labour MEP
• Dadabhai Naoroji – Liberal MP; first Indian MP in the House of Commons
• Priti Patel – Conservative MP; Home Secretary from July 2019 to 6 September 2022
• Shapurji Saklatvala – Communist MP
• Virendra Sharma – Labour MP and councillor in Ealing
• Alok Sharma – Conservative MP and Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
• Marsha Singh – Labour MP
• Parmjit Singh Gill – Liberal Democrat MP
• Satyendra Prasanna Sinha, 1st Baron Sinha – first Indian member of the House of Lords
• Rishi Sunak – Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party (2022–present)
• Shailesh Vara – Conservative MP
• Keith Vaz – Labour MP; longest-serving British Asian MP; former Minister for Europe and Privy Council member

United States

• Nimi McConigley – Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives was the first Indian born person and the first Indian American women to serve in any State legislature.
• Harry Anand – mayor of Laurel Hollow, New York; first Indian-American mayor in New York
• Neel Kashkari – Republican politician and former Gubernatorial candidate in California
• Niraj J. Antani – Republican member of Ohio House of Representatives from Ohio's 42nd District; first Indian American Republican elected to the Ohio House
• Sam Arora – former Democratic member of the Maryland House of Delegates
• Kumar P. Barve – Democratic member (and former Majority Leader) of the Maryland House of Delegates from Maryland's 17th Legislative District in Montgomery County; first Indian American to be elected to any state legislature
• Ami Bera – Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 7th congressional district – former Chief Medical Officer for Sacramento County
• Raj Peter Bhakta – entrepreneur, former The Apprentice contestant, and 2006 Republican U.S. House nominee in Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district
• Ravinder S. Bhalla – mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, first Sikh mayor in NJ
• Satveer Chaudhary – former state senator and representative in Minnesota Senate and Minnesota House of Representatives
• Joy Cherian – first Asian and Indian American head of the EEOC
• Upendra Chivukula – Commissioner on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities; former Democratic member and Deputy Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly (first Indian-American elected to the NJ state legislature)
• Swati Dandekar – member of Iowa House of Representatives
• Bhagwan Dashairya – 2006 nominee for Governor of Michigan of the U.S. Taxpayers Party
• Manka Dhingra – Democratic member of the Washington State Senate from Washington's 45th legislative district
• Kashmir Gill – mayor of Yuba City, California; first Indian-American mayor in CA and first Sikh mayor in the US
• Vin Gopal – Democratic member of the New Jersey Senate from New Jersey's 11th Legislative District, which covers portions of Monmouth County; third Indian American elected to NJ state legislature and first Indian American NJ state senator; former Chairman of the Monmouth County Democratic Party
• Raj Goyle – former Democratic member of the Kansas House of Representatives from Kansas' 87th District; first Indian American elected official in that state
• Nikki Haley – former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Governor of South Carolina; first Indian American to hold both offices and first female Governor of South Carolina
• Kamala Harris – 49th Vice President of the United States (first Indian American; first African American; and first female Vice President of the U.S.); former United States Senator from the State of California (first Indian American in the U.S. Senate and first African American senator from California); 32nd Attorney General of California (first Indian American attorney general in the U.S.) and the 27th District Attorney of San Francisco (first district attorney in the U.S. of Indian descent)
• Satish Hiremath – mayor of Oro Valley, Arizona; second Indian-American mayor in the US
• Pramila Jayapal – Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington's 7th Congressional District; former member of the Washington State Senate; first Indian American woman in both offices; founder of OneAmerica, a pro-immigration advocacy group
• Bobby Jindal – former Republican Governor of Louisiana (first Indian American governor in US history); former member of U.S. House of Representatives; former U.S. presidential candidate
• Ro Khanna – Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 17th Congressional District, former Deputy Assistant at the U.S. Department of Commerce
• Kris Kolluri – New Jersey Commissioner of Transportation
• Raja Krishnamoorthi – Democratic Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois' 8th Congressional District
• Aruna Miller – Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, former member of the Maryland House of Delegates
• Raj Mukherji – Majority Whip and Democratic member of the New Jersey General Assembly from New Jersey's 33rd Legislative District covering portions of Hudson County (second Indian American elected to NJ state legislature); former Deputy Mayor of Jersey City, NJ; former Commissioner and Chairman of the Jersey City Housing Authority (then the youngest to serve in that position)
• Ajit Pai – Chairman of the FCC and first Indian American to hold that position
• Rachel Paulose – first woman to become a U.S. Attorney in Minnesota; US Attorney for the District of Minnesota
• Kesha Ram – four-term member of the Vermont House of Representatives; candidate for Lieutenant Governor
• Harpreet Singh Sandhu – former Richmond City Council member
• Reshma Saujani – first Indian woman to run for Congress
• Amish Shah – member of the Arizona House of Representatives
• Balvir Singh – on the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders, New Jersey; first Asian-American to win a countywide election in Burlington County; first Sikh-American to win a countywide election in NJ^[4]
• Dalip Singh Saund – first Indian-American congressman; Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California
• Kshama Sawant – Seattle City Council member; first socialist to win a city-wide election in Seattle since the radical progressive Anna Louise Strong was elected to the school board in 1916
• Kevin Thomas – first Indian-American member of the New York State Senate
• Seema Verma – first Indian-American female administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Sara Gideon - Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives
• Suhas Subramanyam - first Indian-American elected to the Virginia General Assembly and former Obama Administration White House official

See also

• List of heads of state and government of Indian origin
• List of foreign politicians of Chinese origin
• List of foreign politicians of Korean origin
• List of foreign politicians of Japanese origin
• List of foreign politicians of Vietnamese origin
• List of foreign politicians of Iranian origin

References