Prospective international students still appear to have limited interest in studying in India despite policymakers¡¯ attempts to encourage institutions to focus on recruiting from abroad.

India¡¯s flagship National Education Policy (NEP), published in 2020, includes a focus on establishing India as an international education hub and encouraging foreigners to study in the country.

While India is set to soon have 15 foreign universities?operating branch campuses?there, progress in attracting international students appears to be slower.

In the 2021-22 academic year, the last period for which the government released statistics, and when the impact of the pandemic was still being felt, the number of foreign students at Indian universities fell to 46,878,?2 per cent lower than the previous year.

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At that time, 28 per cent of the country¡¯s international students were from Nepal, followed by?7 per cent from Afghanistan, and?6 per cent from both the United States and Bangladesh.

Since then, some regions report growing interest from international students. In June, the University of Kerala??a 138 per cent rise in applications for the 2025-26 academic year compared?with four years ago, but it is unclear whether this trend extends to the whole country.??

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In an attempt to encourage the recruitment of foreign students, in May, the University Grants Commission directed institutions to create up to 25 per cent more ¡°supernumerary¡± seats for international students, which would be in addition to existing government caps on enrolment levels.

But?, a London-based education consultancy, suggests more needs to be done to raise awareness of Indian institutions among foreign students.?

The organisation surveyed over 4,000 prospective students from 22 countries, focused on those interested in business degrees, finding?8 per cent would consider studying in India for a master¡¯s or MBA.?

Of the students who showed an interest in India, most were from Nigeria (18 per cent), followed by the United Arab Emirates (15 per cent) and South Africa (15 per cent).

For those who said they wouldn¡¯t consider India, 33 per cent put this down to a lack of knowledge about reputable Indian business schools.?

There were also concerns about lifestyle and cultural adjustments, with 17 per cent of respondents expressing discomfort about living in India.?

Recent scandals have also damaged the country¡¯s international reputation. Earlier this year, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology reportedly asked all Nepalese students to leave the institution?after a Nepalese student died?by suspected suicide,?stoking wider concerns?about the treatment of foreigners in Indian universities.?

¡°Schools need to make it perfectly clear what their values are, how they behave, what their track record is,¡± said Andrew Crisp, co-founder of CarringtonCrisp and author of the report.?

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¡°There¡¯s also probably a place for schools collectively to promote Indian higher education ¨C be that business schools or more widely ¨C to really put across¡­a clear positioning about the benefits of study in India.¡±

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Findings from the study also suggest that higher numbers of students are open to the idea of studying in India for a portion of their degree, including on short-term exchanges or as part of a joint degree.

And, while top Indian universities are commonly far oversubscribed, given the immense scale of domestic demand, they say they are keen to add international students to their classrooms.?

¡°While our existing strong domestic demand gives us a solid foundation, it should not be a reason to look inward,¡± said Somak Raychaudhury, vice-chancellor at Ashoka University.

¡°Bringing in international students adds diversity, strengthens research, and raises the global profile.¡±

However, one of the key barriers to attracting international students is, he believes, ¡°the lack of an adequate research ecosystem¡±.

¡°Research is crucial for knowledge creation and innovation, yet the infrastructure to support it ¨C from laboratories to funding, from mentorship to collaborative networks ¨C is often limited in Indian colleges,¡± he said.?

¡°Additionally, the variation in quality across institutions can create uncertainty for prospective students.¡±

Raychaudhury added that easing visa rules, enabling post-study work opportunities and ¡°granting greater autonomy¡± to institutions would help make Indian higher education more accessible to the outside world.?

Eldho Mathews, programme officer for the internationalisation of higher education at the Kerala State Higher Education Council, said more investment is needed in infrastructure, including accommodation, which can be limited.?

Additionally, ¡°institutions should be encouraged to invest in well-staffed and trained international relations offices that can handle recruitment, partnerships, and student support efficiently,¡± he said.

It seems unlikely that the government will inject cash into these measures, however, with university funding?already on the decline.?

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¡°I think it¡¯s pretty far down on the list [of government priorities],¡± said Philip Altbach, emeritus professor at Boston College¡¯s Center for International Higher Education, particularly given that internationalisation is only a ¡°minor¡± part of the relatively ambitious NEP.

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com