Around 2 to 2.5 million students from India are currently pursuing education abroad. For this, they are paying approximately $80 billion (around ₹8,000 crore) to foreign universities in the form of fees. In the next one to two years, around 15 foreign universities are expected to launch branch campuses in locations such as GIFT City – Gujarat, Navi Mumbai – Maharashtra, Greater Noida – Delhi, and Gurugram – Haryana. Declining youth populations in their home countries, shrinking government subsidies, and deteriorating financial conditions in national budgets have made them increasingly dependent on international student admissions. It would reduce the costs associated with studying abroad, such as high tuition fees, accommodation, and daily living expenses. However, if these foreign universities compromise on quality and treat education as a commercial business, it may lead to an increase in the number of unemployed foreign degree holders.There is a need to strengthen Indian universities and increase education expenditure to 6% of GDP. Developing high-quality domestic education systems and institutions is essential. With nearly 1,100 universities and over 50,000 colleges in the country, achieving this is not just desirable — it is the need of the hour.
