NITI Aayog on Internationalisation of Higher Education in India

• 08 Jan 2026

For Prelims: National Education Policy 2020, National Institutional Ranking Framework, Bharat Vidya Kosh

For Mains: Internationalisation of higher education and national development, Brain drain vs brain circulation, Education and economic growth linkages, Role of higher education in soft power and diplomacy

Source:TH

Why in News? 

NITI Aayog has released a report titled Internationalisation of Higher Education in India: Prospects, Potential, and Policy Recommendations, outlining a comprehensive road map to make India a global destination for higher education.

Summary

• NITI Aayog’s report highlights internationalisation of higher education as a strategic necessity to address India’s brain drain, student mobility imbalance, and large foreign exchange outflows, and to strengthen research, innovation, and global competitiveness.
• The road map proposes scholarships, a USD 10-billion research fund, regulatory and visa reforms, and global academic partnerships to transform India from a net exporter of students into a global education hub aligned with NEP 2020 and SDGs.

Why is Internationalisation of Higher Education Critical for India?

• Addressing Brain Drain: India has a 1:28 inbound–outbound student ratio, indicating a major skew toward outward migration.
  • This reflects a significant brain drain and loss of domestic academic capacity.
  • Over 16 lakh Indians have renounced citizenship since 2011, partly due to overseas education–migration pathways. Internationalisation can convert brain drain into brain circulation.
• Reducing Economic and Foreign Exchange Outflow: Indian students’ overseas education spending is projected at Rs 6.2 lakh crore by 2025.
  • This equals nearly 2% of GDP and about 75% of India’s trade deficit (FY 2024–25).
• Strengthening India’s Global Competitiveness: Concentration of Indian students in high-income strategic countries (US, UK, Australia) (over 8.5 lakh Indian students) risks weakening India’s long-term knowledge economy and innovation base.
  • Attracting global talent improves research quality and institutional rankings.
• Boosting Research and Soft Power: India hosts about 47,000 international students (2022), but with stronger policy support, inbound numbers could rise to 7.89–11 lakh by 2047. 
  • Since 2001, international student inflow has grown by 518%, highlighting India’s significant yet underutilised potential as a global education hub.
    • Inflow of international students and faculty enhances research output, cross-cultural learning, and global collaborations.
  • It positions India as a global knowledge hub and strengthens educational diplomacy.
• Supporting National Development Goals: Internationalisation aligns with National Education Policy 2020 and India’s 2047 development vision.
  • It helps build a high-skilled workforce essential for economic growth and technological leadership.

What are the Challenges in Internationalisation of Higher Education in India?

• Limited Scholarships and Financial Aid: 41% of Indian institutions surveyed by NITI Aayog reported inadequate scholarships as the biggest constraint.
  • Countries like Germany and France offer low-cost education with strong scholarship support, making India less competitive.
• Weak Global Perception Of Education Quality: Indian universities face a weak global perception of quality.
  • Despite strong performers such as the IITs and IISc, the QS World University Rankings: Asia 2026 show that no Indian university features in the top 50, highlighting gaps in global competitiveness and international brand credibility.
• Complex Regulatory and Visa Framework: Multiple regulators, slow visa approvals, and lack of a single-window system discourage foreign students and faculty.
  • Unlike Australia’s student-friendly visa regime, India lacks fast-track academic visas.
• Inadequate International Campus Infrastructure: Many institutions lack international hostels, labs, libraries, and student services.
  • Only a handful of campuses like IIT Madras offer facilities comparable to global standards.
• Difficulty In Attracting Foreign Faculty: Rigid recruitment rules, salary caps, and lack of tenure security deter international academics.
  • Indian universities struggle to compete with US and European institutions offering flexible contracts and higher pay.
  • Shortage of interdisciplinary, research-intensive, and globally benchmarked courses taught in international formats. 
    • Joint degrees and dual-campus programmes are common in Europe but rare in India.
• Weak International Branding And Outreach: India lacks coordinated global marketing and alumni ambassador networks.
  • Countries like Canada aggressively brand themselves as global education hubs through embassies and digital campaigns.
• Cultural And Social Adjustment Issues: International students often encounter language barriers and cultural isolation, making India less attractive compared to student-friendly destinations.

What are the Recommendations Proposed By NITI Aayog For Internationalisation Of Higher Education?

• Scholarships and Fellowships for Global Talent: NITI Aayog recommends launching Vishwa Bandhu Scholarships for international students and Vishwa Bandhu Fellowships for foreign faculty and researchers to improve India’s global academic attractiveness.
• Creation of a National Research Fund: Proposes a Bharat Vidya Kosh, a USD 10 billion sovereign research fund, with half the corpus mobilised from diaspora and philanthropy and the remaining half contributed by the Government of India.
• Multilateral Academic Mobility Framework: NITI Aayog has proposed an Erasmus+-style mobility programme, named the Tagore Framework, to promote student and faculty exchanges between India and regions such as ASEAN, BRICS, and BIMSTEC.
  • Erasmus+ Programme is an extensive European Union initiative that offers a wide variety of educational, training, youth, and sport mobility opportunities for individuals and organizations.
• Regulatory and Visa Reforms: The report calls for simplified entry–exit norms, fast-track tenure pathways, competitive salaries for foreign faculty, and a single-window system for visas, tax IDs, banking, and housing.
  • NITI Aayog recommends easing regulations to allow international universities to establish campuses in India, including innovative models like campus-within-campus arrangements.
• Reforms in Rankings and Quality Metrics: It suggests expanding the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) parameters to include indicators such as Outreach and Inclusivity and Globalisation and Partnerships to better capture international engagement.
• Branding, Outreach, and Alumni Engagement: Proposes the creation of Bharat ki AAN (Alumni Ambassador Network) is proposed to leverage the Indian diaspora as global ambassadors for Indian higher education.
• Institutional and Cultural Readiness: Finally, it highlights the need to strengthen international student support systems, cultural integration, and institutional capacity for sustained internationalisation.

Conclusion

India’s higher education internationalisation is now strategic, impacting GDP, innovation, and global influence, and aligned with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 17 (Global Partnerships). NITI Aayog’s road map seeks to transform India from a net exporter of students into a global education hub through systemic reforms and global engagement.

Drishti Mains Question:

Q.  Why has the internationalisation of higher education become a strategic imperative for India? Examine in light of economic and geopolitical factors.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What prompted NITI Aayog to release a report on higher education internationalisation?
India faces a 1:28 inbound–outbound student ratio, rising foreign exchange outflows, and growing brain drain, necessitating a strategic policy response.

2. What are the key challenges in internationalising Indian higher education?
Major constraints include limited scholarships,  weak global perception, complex visas, inadequate infrastructure, and difficulty in hiring foreign faculty.

4. What are the flagship recommendations of NITI Aayog?
Key proposals include Vishwa Bandhu Scholarships, Bharat Vidya Kosh ($10 billion research fund), an Erasmus+-like Tagore Framework, and easing norms for foreign campuses.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ)

Prelims

Which of the following provisions of the Constitution does India have a bearing on Education? (2012)

1. Directive Principles of State Policy  
2. Rural and Urban Local Bodies  
3. Fifth Schedule  
4. Sixth Schedule  
5. Seventh Schedule  

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:  

(a) 1 and 2 only  

(b) 3, 4 and 5 only  

(c) 1, 2 and 5 only  

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5  

Ans- (d) 

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Mains 

Q1. Discuss the main objectives of Population Education and point out the measures to achieve them in India in detail. (2021)

Q2. How have digital initiatives in India contributed to the functioning of the education system in the country? Elaborate on your answer. (2020)  

Q3. The quality of higher education in India requires major improvements to make it internationally competitive. Do you think that the entry of foreign educational institutions would help improve the quality of higher and technical education in the country? Discuss. (2015)