Indian-origin Rishi Sunak is all set to take over as the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, becoming the country’s first leader of colour. 

Rishi Sunak’s Indian grandparents had migrated to East Africa. His parents later emigrated from Africa to Southampton in southern England. His father Yashvir Sunak worked as a general practitioner for the National Health Service, and his mother, Usha Sunak worked as a pharmacist.

As Rishi Sunak scripts history, let’s look at some of the other Indian-origin world leaders serving crucial roles in different countries.

Antonio Costa, Portugal's Socialist Prime Minister since 2015, has been of Indian and Portuguese descent. A lawyer turned politician, Costa also holds Overseas Citizenship of India. Costa’s father, Orlando da Costa, a prominent novelist, was born in Mozambique to a Goan family. His writings also included essays on Rabindranath Tagore.

Born into a Hindu Ahir family in the suburban area of Vacoas-Phoenix, Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth is the current Prime Minister of Mauritius. His father Anerood Jugnauth was a barrister, and his mother Sarojini Ballah was a schoolteacher.

The seventh President of Mauritius since 2019, Prithvirajsing Roopun also known as Pradeep Singh Roopun, was born in an Indian Arya Samaji Hindu family. He grew up in Morcellement St Jean, a suburb of Quatre Bornes, and joined politics in 1983. He had served ministerial posts before being elected as the President of Mauritius.

Halimah Yacob is the eighth president of Singapore, serving since 2017. She was born to an Indian Muslim father and a Malay mother. The first female president in the history of Singapore, Halimah served as the country’s parliament speaker before becoming the President.

Chan Santokhi, or Chandrikapersad Santokhi, is the 9th president of the South American country, Suriname since 2020. A police officer turned politician, he was born into an Indo-Surinamese Hindu family in Lelydorp. His father worked at the harbour of Paramaribo and his mother worked as a shop assistant in Lelydorp.

The current president of Guyana, Irfaan Ali was born to an Indo-Guyanese Muslim family in Leonora, a village in the West Coast Demerara region of Guyana. He is the first Muslim president of the country and also the second Muslim head of state in the Americas.

Wavel Ramkalawan has been serving as the president of Seychelles since 2020. His grandfather was from Bihar. Born in Mahé, the principal island of Seychelles, Ramkalawan is also an Anglican priest. In fact, it was his work as a priest that led him to enter politics