Opinion | Indian Varsities Poised To Gain From US Visa Crackdown On International Students
With IITs, IIMs already competing with Ivy League schools in business and STEM education, India has talent, infrastructure, and policies to draw students seeking a better future
Imagine waking up to gun-carrying officers banging on your door, demanding to see your student visa, then being handcuffed and deported for technical paperwork errors. This worst-case scenario is now a reality for hundreds of foreign students in the US, where recent visa crackdowns and aggressive immigration enforcement have fuelled fear and uncertainty. While America shuts its doors to outside talent, India’s world-class universities—with their cheap fees, streamlined visas, and welcoming arms—are the most promising option for stranded students. Is this the moment for India to become the next world education behemoth?
India stands to gain much if the United States continues to alienate foreign students at its own risk. With esteemed universities like the IITs and IIMs already competing with Ivy League schools in business and STEM education, India has the talent, infrastructure, and legislative framework to draw in students looking for greatness and stability. India can strengthen its economy, improve its academic standing, and establish itself as the next global centre of education by taking advantage of America’s restrictive laws.
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The US economy benefits from almost $40 billion in annual contributions from international students, but they are being turned off by political animosity and visa restrictions. India has a distinct advantage over other nations vying for this talent because of its lower costs, English-medium education, and robust diaspora networks. India provides students from Southeast Asia, West Asia, and Africa with a more affordable, culturally varied, and accessible option than the West.
India’s IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management) and IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) already have an international reputation as among the finest business schools and engineering colleges on the planet. Beyond these giants, there are private colleges like Manipal Academy of Higher Education (preeminent in medicine), BITS Pilani (granting excellent tech degrees), and Ashoka University (excellent in humanities) that are rapidly becoming better known all over the world. These universities are of interest because of their high levels of industry involvement and low tuition, generally one-tenth the tuition found at American universities.
India offers simpler student visa procedures (no arbitrary denials), in contrast to the United States, where students must contend with H-1B visa lotteries and the possibility of deportation. Additionally, it provides pathways to residency for qualified professionals and post-study employment opportunities (up to two to three years for STEM graduates). For students who are afraid of sudden policy changes, this stability is a big lure.
Local businesses might benefit from an increase in overseas students. They also promote innovation and raise rankings worldwide. India can create a successful education economy, just like Canada and Australia have.
Assimilation is simpler in India than in the West because of the country’s vast expat communities, English-speaking academics, and cosmopolitan colleges. Cities with thriving student populations, such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune, are already major centres for education worldwide.
India is prepared to embrace the world’s most brilliant minds, despite the United States’ exclusion of them. India has the potential to turn this crisis into an opportunity and emerge as the next global education superpower by utilising its academic prowess, reasonably priced education, and pro-student policies. The question is not whether India can draw in many students, but rather how quickly it can expand to accommodate the need. There is little doubt that India is at the forefront of the eastward trend in global education.
The writer is a columnist. His articles have appeared in various publications like The Independent, The Globe and Mail, South China Morning Post, The Straits Times, etc. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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