NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Andhra Pradesh, INDIA, June 29, 2026 — A 94-year-old woman from Andhra Pradesh has given up her U.S. citizenship and applied to regain Indian citizenship, saying she wants to spend the rest of her life in her homeland and “die as an Indian.”
Kondragunta Mahalakshmamma, a native of Chinthagumpala village in Andhra Pradesh’s Bapatla district, appeared before district officials to complete the formalities for restoration of her Indian citizenship after relinquishing the U.S. citizenship she had held for more than two decades.
According to officials, Mahalakshmamma became a U.S. citizen in July 2000 after moving to the United States to live with her son, an oncologist, following the death of her husband, Nagabhushanam. She lived in the United States for nearly 18 years before returning to her native village in 2018.
Now in her nineties, she says her final wish is to live out her remaining years in India as an Indian citizen.
“I want to spend my final days in my motherland as an Indian citizen. I want my last rites to be performed in my native village,” she reportedly told district officials during her visit.
As part of the citizenship restoration process, Mahalakshmamma took the oath of allegiance to the Constitution of India in Telugu before the district administration. Her application has been forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which will make the final decision on restoring her Indian citizenship.
India does not permit dual citizenship. Many former Indian citizens who become citizens of another country retain Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status, which grants lifelong visa and other privileges but is not equivalent to Indian citizenship. Restoring full Indian citizenship requires applicants to renounce their foreign nationality and obtain approval from the central government.
Mahalakshmamma’s decision has attracted widespread attention on social media and in Indian news outlets because it runs counter to the more familiar story of Indians seeking permanent residence or citizenship abroad. Instead, her story highlights the enduring emotional bond many members of the diaspora retain with their homeland, even after decades overseas.
For Mahalakshmamma, the decision was deeply personal. After spending nearly two decades in America, she chose to return to the village where she was born, saying that she wanted her life to come full circle in the country she still considers home.
