India

The strong demand for education in India combined with ambitious plans by the government to reform the education sector has created the largest opportunity in the world for international higher educators and service providers, according to a new report by the British Council.

Pathway provider North Consortium UK (NCUK) has expanded its programmes into India for the first time in its 25 year history, after signing an agreement with the Delhi based training arm of Indian student consultancy The Chopras. This agreement is the first of NCUK's three new market entries coming to fruition in 2014.

Industry commentators have been quick to point out that recent HESA statistics for EU and non-EU intake in 2012/13 are the first statistical confirmation that current visa policy is eroding the UK's market share in international education.

The UK is the most popular destination for 21% of 10,000 Indian students looking to study abroad surveyed by the British Council recently. But as the cost of international education increases and the quality of domestic higher education institutions improve, more students are opting to stay in country.

A video encouraging Indian students to study in the UK was launched last week. The video was the result of a collaboration between UK universities, the British Council in Delhi and the UK Home Office, and explains the visa application process by following two student applicants through the process.

India and Nigeria – two of the six so called "high risk" countries – have welcomed the UK government's plans to scrap the visa bond scheme that may have forced visitors to forfeit a £3,000 cash payment if they overstayed their short-term visa. The Home Office has told The PIE News that it has decided not to proceed with the controversial plan, which had caused concern overseas given that it would only have applied to certain nationalities.

The latest figures from the Council for Graduate Schools show a radical shift in top source markets for graduate students as first-time enrolments form Indian students at US graduate schools jump 40% offsetting a slow down of growth from Chinese students to 5%.

A new ordinance from India could help foreign universities set up branch campuses as non-profit companies and issue government-recognised foreign degrees for the first time – without any form of partnerships between itself and a local higher education institutions.

Britain’s message around international education is focusing on quality and not quantity and threatening Britain’s share of international students, according to the CEO of Sannam S4, an India-based company helping UK institutions recruit in India and China.

Industry giant Pearson has launched new exam test centres for its Pearson Test of English Academic centres (PTE Academic) in a number of key student source markets in collaboration with international schools and education agencies, in a clear move to work at the heart of the supply chain in international education.

Industry experts predict that the free falling value of the rupee will not dent India’s demand for foreign education this year despite concerns documented. But they indicate that long-term impacts could be seen. "People will enroll this year, but things look shaky for next year," commented Dr. Rahul Choudaha.

India’s third largest private sector bank, Axis, has launched a pre-paid travel currency card for students in association with The International Student Identity Card (ISIC). It is the first photo travel card available to Indian students in USD, Euro, GBP and AUD currencies that can be used at over 2 million MasterCard ATMs worldwide.

We want to start looking at delivering English language plus soft skills. And we’re also looking at India, we’ll be the first organised company that will actually market Indian universities overseas, to send students from the MENA region to study in India.

A consortium of London-based universities working together to promote London as a pre-eminent international student destination recently toasted its first year milestone and significant successes increasing London's exposure and enhancing its brand as a study destination with strong employment links, notably in the markets of India and China.

The number of Indian students at Russian universities increased by almost 60 per cent to 450 in 2012, up from 280 in 2011. Indians are said to be attracted by Russia's affordable, well recognised education system.