Washington, Apr 2 (IANS): People of Indian origin are close to making one percent of America's population of 308.7 million with their numbers shooting up by a whopping 69.37 percent over the last decade.

Indians are now the largest Asian subgroup in 25 states in America, mainly in the South and Midwest, making them the main driver in population growth of Asian Americans, according to an analysis of US 2010 Census data by the California based India-West newspaper.

The New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island metro area had 526,133 Indian Americans in 2010, about 18.5 percent of the nation's total of 2,843,391 with a dramatic increase in their numbers from 1,678,765 in 2000.

While California had the most Indian American residents at 528,176, and New York was second at 313,620. Indians have a higher percentage as a ratio of a state's total population in New Jersey.

There are now 292,256 Asian Indians, as the Census Bureau terms Indian Americans, in New Jersey, 3.3 percent of the state's total population. Indian Americans in New Jersey numbered just 169,180 in 2000, so their number has increased almost 73 percent.

The next states after the top three with the largest numbers of Indian Americans in 2010 were: Texas, 245,981; Illinois, 188,328, Florida, 128,735; Virginia, 103,916, Pennsylvania, 103,026; Georgia, 96,116; Maryland, 79,051; Massachusetts, 77,177; Michigan, 77,132; Ohio, 64,187; Washington, 61,124; and North Carolina, 57,400.

Indian Americans are the largest Asian group in six of the 10 largest metro areas in the US. These with their national rankings by population size listed in brackets were: Chicago (3), Dallas (4), Philadelphia (5), Washington, D.C. (7) Miami (8) and Atlanta (9).

The Indian American population increased due to several factors, including the influx of a large number of professionals, particularly those coming on H-1Bs, according to the India-West analysis.

India was also a leading source of foreign students from 2000-10. Many have stayed to continue their studies or to work in the country. Many others who immigrated to the US in the 1980s and 1990s have sponsored relatives under the family visas.

Another factor is the growth of small businesses run by Indian Americans, particularly convenience stores, hotels and motels and in the health-related fields.