NITI Aayog :Internationalisation of Higher Education in India:

Why in News ?  NITI Aayog has released a landmark report titled “Internationalisation of Higher Education in India: Prospects, Potential, and Policy Recommendations” on December 22, 2025.

The report serves as a strategic road map to transform India into a global “Vishwa Guru” (Knowledge Hub) by 2047, aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the newly introduced Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025.

The Core Problem: Mobility Imbalance:

The report highlights a severe gap between students leaving India and those coming in.

• The 1:28 Ratio: In 2024, for every 1 international student studying in India, 28 Indian students went abroad.
• Brain Drain: Over 35 lakh Indian students studied abroad in 2024, primarily in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia.
• Economic Impact: Indian students’ overseas expenditure is projected to reach 2 lakh crore by 2025 (~2% of GDP), which accounts for nearly 75% of India’s total trade deficit.

Key Policy Initiatives & “Vishwa Bandhu”:

To attract global talent, NITI Aayog proposed several flagship financial and social schemes:

• Vishwa Bandhu Scholarship: A competitive scholarship aimed at attracting foreign students to Indian Master’s and PhD programs.
• Vishwa Bandhu Fellowship: Designed to bring world-class foreign faculty and research talent to teach and conduct research in Indian HEIs.
• Bharat ki AAN (Alumni Ambassador Network): A program to leverage the 3.5 crore-strong Indian diaspora and alumni of top Indian universities to act as “brand ambassadors” for Indian education.

Financial & Regulatory Reforms:

• Bharat Vidya Kosh: A proposed $10 billion National Research Sovereign Wealth Impact Fund.
  • Funding: 50% from the government and 50% raised through philanthropy and the diaspora.
• “Campus within Campus” Model: Easing regulations to allow foreign universities to set up integrated or co-located campuses within existing Indian public/private institutions under a 10-year sunset clause.
• Tagore Framework: A multilateral academic mobility framework inspired by Europe’s Erasmus+, tailored for regional groups like ASEAN, BRICS, and BIMSTEC.

Strengthening Rankings & Support:

• Expanded NIRF Rankings: The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) will be updated to include parameters like “Outreach and Inclusivity” and “Globalisation & Partnerships” to incentivize internationalisation.
• Ease of Living: A recommendation for a single-window clearance system to handle all foreign student needs, including visas, bank accounts, tax IDs, and housing.

Future Targets (Vision 2047):

The report uses forecasting to set ambitious growth targets for inbound international students:

• Current State: ~47,000 international students (2022).
• 2035 Target:44 lakh international students.
• 2047 Vision: Between 89 lakh and 11 lakh international students, depending on the intensity of policy implementation.