India's Century: Built in the Classroom

Each year, India sends more students abroad than any other country.

- Hemant Verma

As of 2025, over 1.8 million Indian students are studying overseas, up from 1.3 million in 2023. Families spent a huge ₹75,000 crore on foreign education for just a year, raised through loans, savings, and long-term debt. Then, what do we get in return?

A widening gap between the aspirations of our youth and the capability of our education system. A disconnect between Indian talent and Indian institutions. And worse, an increasing number of students stuck in immigration limbo as countries like Canada, the UK, and even Australia tighten visa rules and dependent permits.

Brain drain
Critics may point to the Indian student migration story towards the lack of world-class options at home. Yes, we have IITs, IIMs, and a few reputed private universities. For the million students currently in higher education in India, that isn't enough. The system is overstretched, uneven, and in many cases, outdated. Students from these universities complain there is little global exposure and interdisciplinary learning, or research needed for this fast-moving world.

Hence, students and their parents look abroad, not because they want to leave India, but because they feel forced to. This is the crux of the problem.

Global excellence