The growing trend towards international education is demonstrated by the more than 28.33 lakh Indian students who sought higher education overseas between 2019 and 2023. Over 2.34 lakh international students attended Indian schools during that time.

Concerned about "brain drain," the government has stepped up efforts to make education better at home and establish India as a top global destination for education. The Ministry of Education highlighted these problems and described actions being done to address them in a presentation of data to the Rajya Sabha.

Rise in Indian students studying abroad

According to data from the Ministry of Education, the number of Indian students pursuing education abroad is steadily increasing. 5,86,337 students pursued higher education overseas in 2019. The pandemic caused this number to drop to 2,59,655 in 2020, but it rose to 4,44,553 in 2021. With 7,50,365 students in 2022 and 8,92,989 in 2023, the rising trend persisted. The five-year total of 28.33 lakh students highlights a significant rise following the pandemic. The government does not, however, keep track of these students' returns, mostly because of personal decisions made in a globalised information industry.

Measures to address Brain Drain

The government has taken a number of steps to improve domestic education and position India as a worldwide centre for education in an effort to slow brain drain. A pillar is the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which permits foreign universities to establish campuses in India and emphasises international academic interactions. Additionally, joint, dual, and twinning degree programs have been made possible by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

With initiatives like the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) and the creation of Research Parks, significant investments are being made to upgrade infrastructure. Furthermore, the goal of the 2023-redesigned Study in India program is to increase the number of foreign students enrolled in Indian colleges.

The government is promoting international collaborations through programs like One Nation, One Subscription, which guarantees centralised access to academic resources, and the Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC). India's research environment is further strengthened by establishing the Anusandhan National Research Foundation and Research and Development Cells.

To attract talent from throughout the world, India offers a number of scholarships for international students, including the AYUSH Scholarships and the Atal Bihari Vajpayee General Scholarship.