The number of Indian students moving abroad for higher education has declined sharply over the past two years, with the latest data showing a significant drop from the 2023 peak. According to data shared by the Bureau of Immigration (BoI), Ministry of Home Affairs, the number of Indians who declared "study/education" as their purpose of travel stood at 8,94,758 in 2023.
The figure fell to 7,60,060 in 2024 and declined further to 6,19,264 in 2025, marking a drop of nearly 31% from 2023. The trend was notably different between 2021 and 2023, when the number of students going abroad increased each year. The figure rose from 4,45,580 in 2021 to 8,94,758 in 2023, nearly doubling in two years.
Foreign Universities Set Up Campuses In India
Over the past few years, India has taken several steps to encourage prestigious foreign universities to open campuses in the country. Such campuses give Indian students an opportunity to pursue programmes offered by leading global institutions without having to move abroad. This can reduce the additional financial burden associated with overseas education while strengthening academic collaboration between Indian and foreign institutions. At the same time, several premier Indian institutions have established campuses overseas, expanding their international presence and giving students in other countries access to programmes offered by leading Indian institutes.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued 16 Letters of Intent (LoIs) to Foreign Higher Educational Institutions (FHEIs) from Australia, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Of these, six LoIs have been issued to FHEIs in Karnataka, six in Maharashtra, three in Delhi-NCR, and one in Tamil Nadu.
In Maharashtra, four of the six FHEIs that received LoIs, the University of York, University of Bristol, University of Aberdeen, and Illinois Institute of Technology, have been granted Letters of Approval to commence academic operations in Mumbai.
The University of Southampton and the University of New South Wales have already established campuses in Gurugram and Bengaluru, respectively.
IITs, IIM Ahmedabad Expand Global Footprint
Indian institutions have also expanded their presence overseas in recent years. IIT Madras established its campus in Zanzibar in 2023, IIT Delhi opened its campus in Abu Dhabi in 2024, while IIM Ahmedabad established its Dubai campus in 2025.
IIM Ahmedabad launched a one-year, full-time MBA programme at its Dubai campus in September 2025, along with a General Management programme for professionals from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. The MBA programme has 35 students.
IIT Madras opened its Zanzibar campus in 2023. So far, 35 students have graduated with MTech degrees in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, and Ocean Structures, while more than 100 students are enrolled in various BS programmes in Data Science and Chemical Process Engineering.
IIT Delhi established its offshore campus in Abu Dhabi, UAE, in 2024, offering nine undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes. In the 2025-26 academic year, the campus had 171 students.
Government Steps To Strengthen Higher Education
The Government of India, including through the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, has taken several measures to improve access to quality higher education.
These include upgrading infrastructure in publicly funded educational institutions, accrediting new institutions and courses that meet prescribed criteria, promoting research and innovation, and expanding digital initiatives to improve accessibility.
These measures have expanded the pool of institutions and increased the availability of educational facilities across the country.
52 Indian Institutions Feature In QS World University Rankings 2027
A total of 52 Indian institutions feature in the QS World University Rankings (QS WUR) 2027, the country's highest-ever representation. This is a substantial increase from the 11 Indian institutions featured in the QS WUR 2015.
India ranked 38th globally in the Global Innovation Index 2025. The country is also among the world's largest startup ecosystems, ranking among the top three globally in terms of scale, funding, and the number of unicorns.
'Study In India' Scheme To Attract International Students
To attract international students, the Ministry of Education launched the 'Study in India' scheme in 2018 to promote India as a global study destination offering quality education at affordable costs.
An integral part of the initiative is the Study in India (SII) portal, which serves as a single platform for admission and visa applications for international students and provides access to India's higher education ecosystem.