QS: India may see 8% rise in foreign students amid visa curbs in West

NEW DELHI: India's inbound international student numbers are projected to grow by about 8% annually from a base of around 58,000 in 2025, signalling a steady shift in global student mobility as visa curbs and rising costs in traditional Western destinations push many applicants to explore alternatives.

The trend, outlined in the latest QS Global Student Flows: India report, suggests that India could gradually strengthen its position as a regional education hub in the coming years.The report noted that global mobility patterns are changing as immigration restrictions tighten across major Anglophone education markets such as the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. Rising tuition costs and stricter visa policies in these countries are prompting students to consider destinations that offer comparable programmes at a lower cost.

"India's inbound student numbers are expected to grow at approximately 8% per year from an estimated base of 58,000 students in 2025 - making it one of the fastest-growing study destinations globally," the report stated.India's competitive advantage lies in a combination of relatively affordable tuition fees, widespread English-medium instruction and geographical proximity to major student-sending regions.

Policy reforms are also shaping this shift. Initiatives such as the Study in India programme have streamlined admissions and reduced financial barriers, while changes linked to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 have allowed foreign universities to establish campuses in India and expanded supernumerary seats for overseas applicants.Regional demand remains central to this projected growth. Students from South Asia account for nearly half of India's international enrolments, with Nepal and Bangladesh together contributing more than 30% of arrivals.

Demand from Sub-Saharan Africa is also increasing, driven by demographic pressures and limited higher education capacity in several countries."South Asia remains the cornerstone of India's international student body, accounting for nearly half of all foreign enrolments," the report noted, adding that African demand is also rising as students seek affordable English-medium programmes.Despite the expected rise in foreign enrolments, India continues to remain a major exporter of students.

More than 8,00,000 Indians were studying overseas as of 2024, making the country the world's second-largest source of international students.However, the geography of outbound mobility is beginning to shift. Enrolments across the traditional "Big Four" destinations - the US, the UK, Canada and Australia - are forecast to decline slightly, by about 0.5% annually through 2030, reflecting policy tightening and higher costs. Increasingly, Indian students are exploring alternatives such as Germany, France and the United Arab Emirates, which offer more accessible education pathways and expanding labour market opportunities.