Internationalisation of Higher Education in India – NITI Aayog’s Roadmap under NEP 2020

Internationalisation of Higher Education in India Latest News

• NITI Aayog released a report titled “Internationalisation of Higher Education in India: Prospects, Potential, and Policy Recommendations”.
• The report aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and comes soon after the introduction of the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, which aims to overhaul higher education regulation.
• The focus is on correcting the severe imbalance between inbound and outbound student mobility and positioning India as a global education and research hub.

Rationale for Internationalisation

• In 2024, for every 1 international student studying in India, 28 Indian students went abroad (1:28 ratio).
• As of 2022, India hosted only about 47,000 international students, despite a 518% increase since 2001.
• Forecasts suggest 7.89–11 lakh international students by 2047, depending on policy intensity.
• Internationalisation is seen as crucial for knowledge diplomacy, talent circulation, reducing brain drain, and economic sustainability.

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Key Findings of the Report

• Economic and strategic concerns:
  • Outward remittances under RBI’s Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) increased by about 2000% in the last decade.
  • Indian students’ overseas education expenditure is projected at ₹6.2 lakh crore by 2025 (~2% of GDP).
  • This spending equals about 75% of India’s trade deficit (FY 2024–25).
  • Concentration of 8.5 lakh out of 13.5 lakh outbound students in high-income countries (USA, UK, Australia).
  • Over 16 lakh Indians renounced citizenship since 2011, indicating long-term talent loss.
• Perception and institutional gaps:
  • 41% of institutes cited limited scholarships/financial aid as a key barrier.
  • 30% institutes flagged perception of education quality in India.
  • Other constraints include inadequate international infrastructure, limited global programme offerings, weak international student support systems, and cultural adaptation challenges.

Major Policy Recommendations

• Strategic and financial measures:
  • Bharat Vidya Kosh: As a national research sovereign wealth fund (suggesting a $10 billion corpus, of which 50% can be raised from diaspora/philanthropy + 50% from Centre).
  • Vishwa Bandhu scholarship: To attract foreign students. 
  • Vishwa Bandhu fellowship: To attract foreign research talent and faculty.
  • Bharat ki AAN (Alumni Ambassador Network): To leverage diaspora Indians who have studied at top India universities into acting as ambassadors for Indian higher education.
• Mobility and global partnerships:
  • Europe’s Erasmus+ like programme: 
    • To suggest the creation of a “multilateral academic mobility framework” tailored to specific country groupings like ASEAN, BRICS, BIMSTEC, etc.
    • This could be called the “Tagore framework”, named after Asia’s first Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore.
  • Promotion of “campus within campus” and more international campuses in India.
• Regulatory and governance reforms:
  • Easier entry–exit norms for foreign students and faculty.
  • Fast-track tenure pathways for foreign faculty.
  • Competitive, internationally benchmarked salaries.
  • Single-window clearance system for visas, bank accounts, tax IDs, housing and administrative needs.
  • Alignment with non-binding internationalisation frameworks under the proposed Manak Parishad (Standards Council).
• Branding, rankings and outreach:
  • Expansion of NIRF parameters to include outreach and inclusivity, globalisation and partnerships.
  • Bharat ki AAN: Mobilising Indian diaspora alumni as global ambassadors of Indian HEIs.
• Curriculum and academic culture: Updated and globally relevant curricula. Emphasis on international research collaboration and cross-cultural learning ecosystems.

Methodology of the Study

• Online survey of 160 Indian institutions.
• Key informant interviews with 30 institutions across 16 countries.
• National Workshop at IIT Madras.
• Transnational Education Roundtable in the UK.

Challenges Identified and Way Forward

• Persistent quality perception gap: Leverage diaspora capital, soft power, and civilisational knowledge.
• Fragmented regulatory ecosystem: Ensure policy coherence between NEP 2020, regulatory reforms, and global engagement.
• Weak internationalisation culture: Treat internationalisation as a strategic national priority, not merely an academic reform.
• Risk of continued brain drain and capital flight: Shift from student export model to a global education destination model.

Conclusion

• The NITI Aayog’s roadmap underscores that internationalisation of higher education is central to India’s economic resilience, strategic autonomy, and soft power projection. 
• India can transform from a net exporter of students to a global knowledge hub, in line with the aspirations of NEP 2020 and Viksit Bharat 2047.

Source: TH