The Centre for the Study of Indian Diaspora (CSID), University of Hyderabad, organized the International Conference on Indian Diaspora: Issues of Identity in the Transnational Context on January 23, 2026. The conference began with an inaugural session chaired by Prof. K. Suneetha Rani, Dean, School of Social Sciences, University of Hyderabad.
Prof. Ajaya K. Sahoo, Head, CSID and conference coordinator, introduced the theme and objectives of the conference, followed by remarks from the Chief Guest, Prof. Chandrashekhar Bhat, Founder and Former Director of CSID.
A major highlight of the inaugural session was the release of the Routledge Handbook of Asian Diaspora & Nationalism (2026), edited by Prof. Ajaya K. Sahoo. The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Binod Khadria, Jawaharlal Nehru University, who offered critical insights into contemporary migration and diaspora studies.
Following the inaugural session, Session II and Session III featured in-depth academic discussions on diaspora, transnationalism, identity, migration, and belonging. Session II, chaired by Prof. Aparna Rayaprol, included presentations by Prof. Ridhima Tewari, Prof. Sundari Anitha, Dr. Shazia Khan, Ms. Biba Babu, Dr. Trilok Chandan Goud, and Mr. Akash Bhati, focusing on cinema, gendered labour, language preservation, diasporic memory, and identity negotiations among Telugu and Punjabi migrant communities.
Session III, chaired by Prof. Suchandra Ghosh, brought together Prof. Angshuman Kar, Prof. Rudra Pradhan, Dr. Anindita Shome, Mr. Mukul Bhagat, Ms. Hidha Moosa, and Mr. Podishetti Naresh, who examined transnational networks, nationalism, digital diasporas, return and Gulf migration, and evolving forms of diaspora engagement.
The conference concluded with a valedictory session by Prof. Anisur Rahman reflected on the key discussions and reaffirmed the importance of interdisciplinary research on Indian diasporas.
Report by: AKASH BHATI, Research Scholar, Centre for the Study of Indian Diaspora, School of Social Sciences