Rise in online search for overseas education

Sulekha.com, a digital platform for local services, did the study based on 2.8 million visits and searches that landed on the overseas education webpage of the portal between 2014 and 2015.

Delhi (140 per cent) leads in the increase in search, followed by Bengaluru (122 per cent), Hyderabad (99 per cent), Chennai (93 per cent), Mumbai (81 per cent), Pune (76 per cent) and Ahmedabad (62 per cent).

The study also reveals that USA with 33 per cent emerged as the most preferred destination for Indian students looking for overseas education, followed by Canada (18 per cent), Germany (16 per cent), Australia (12 per cent), UK (8 per cent) and Singapore (5 per cent).

Singapore is fast emerging as a popular education hub owing to its high quality education and less cost. About 63 per cent of Indian students searched for post-graduate courses, 28 per cent browsed for Ph.D opportunities and only nine per cent turned for undergraduate programmes.

Asked about the trend, C.B. Paul Chellakumar, president, Association of accredited advisors on overseas education, said the demand among Indians to study abroad had always been on the rise.

USA stood first in the list of destinations. “Rise in dollar value has never deterred students who are willing to spend for good returns as the system of education is better in countries like U.S. and U.K. Over one lakh students go to U.S. for higher education and others go to nations like U.K. and Australia,” he said.

Pointing out that Indian universities lack research & development, Prof S.S.Mantha, former chairman, All India Council for Technical Education, said Indian universities have traditionally been teaching institutions where less R&D takes place.

“Students who look for innovation in teaching-learning process and those who can pay more go abroad to study. Universities abroad have strong industry-institute tie-up, which also helps them serve students better with good quality curriculum,” he said.