India is Top Source Market for International Students
US, UK, Canada, Germany, France and Australia are some of the key destinations for Indian students, while others such as South Korea and Spain are emerging destinations
Chennai: India has overtaken China as the top source market for international students in 2024. For every 1 international student coming to India, 19 Indian students go abroad, highlighting the need for a more balanced and strategic approach towards internationalisation of higher education, finds Niti Aayog.
India’s outbound student mobility grew from 6.8 lakhs in 2016 to 13.35 lakhs in 2024, despite fluctuations due to the pandemic. However, India’s inbound international student flow made a slower growth from 6,896 in 2001 to 49,348 in 2020, followed by a slight decline in the subsequent years due to the pandemic.
The internationalisation of higher education has witnessed substantial changes globally and within India over the last two decades. International student mobility shows a 214 per cent increase over the last 25 years, rising from 22 lakh in 2001 to 69 lakh in 2022. While the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily slowed this growth, numbers rebounded strongly by 2022, reflecting resilience and continued appeal of cross-border higher education.
US, UK, Canada, Germany, France and Australia are some of the key destinations for Indian students, while others such as South Korea and Spain are emerging destinations. Top source countries have also shifted, with India overtaking China as the largest sender of international students by 2024.
However, inbound mobility remains modest while the outbound mobility has surged with India being the world’s leading source country for international students. India’s inbound international student trends show an increase in total numbers from 6,896 in 2000–01 to 49,348 in 2019–20, followed by a slight decline in the subsequent years due to the pandemic.
South Asian and African nations continue to be the main contributors. While a decline in international student numbers is seen in traditional hubs like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, states like Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat have seen growth. Engineering and Business programmes are key streams of interest, but a rise in applied and non-conventional fields like pharmacy, computer applications, and niche programmes also has been witnessed.
