Can India Become a Global Study Destination by 2047? Ambitious Plans Meet Structural Realities

India wants to host more than one million international students by 2047.The new government-sponsored report presents the long-term view of how higher education is positioned as a key element of India's plan for future growth and development. While the projected and projected figures are encouraging, the report also shows that in order for India to be able to compete effectively with established global educational hubs, there are numerous serious structural deficiencies that must be overcome.

Titled "Internationalisation of Higher Education in India: Prospects, Potential and Policy Recommendations", the report was produced by NITI Aayog in cooperation with IIT Madras and the Association of Indian Universities. In addition to viewing international education as a source of income for the country, the report also views it as a means of soft power, a multiplier for research, and a method of redrawing India's position as a knowledge economy.

With more than 1,200 universities and close to 40 million students, India now has the second-largest higher education system in the world. Furthermore, according to many experts, the median age of the Indian population is slightly over 28 years, which is one of the youngest in the world. In spite of this, India's presence in the international student market has historically been quite small. Thus, in 2021-22, approximately 50,000 foreign students enrolled in Indian universities, whereas nearly 1.1 million Indians were studying in foreign countries.

This asymmetry lies at the heart of the challenge.

Globally, countries such as the US, UK, Australia, Germany, and Canada treat international education as a strategic export. India, the report suggests, has largely functioned as a talent supplier rather than a destination. By 2022, Indian families were estimated to have spent nearly $47 billion on overseas education—a figure that is expected to rise if current trends continue.

The motivations are not hard to understand. Students seek stronger research ecosystems, global exposure, industry-aligned curricula, and smoother pathways to international careers. While India’s elite institutions enjoy global reputations, the broader university system struggles with uneven quality, limited international faculty, outdated syllabi, and weak global linkages.

The report projects that with sustained reforms, inbound international enrolment could reach 85,000–1.5 lakh by 2030, 3.6 lakh by 2035, and potentially between 3 lakh and 11 lakh by 2047. Achieving even the lower end of this range would mark a significant shift—from a country known for exporting students to one that attracts them.

But the authors are clear: this will not happen organically.

According to the authors, the national Internationalization Strategy should focus on establishing Joint Degree Programs, supporting the mobility of International Faculty, creating Globally Benchmarked Curricula, and developing Research Partnerships. One of their most progressive proposals is to establish Regional Higher Education Hubs, much like those found in Singapore, the UAE, and other areas of Europe, which would serve as a destination for international campuses, conferences, and collaborative research centers.

The report highlighted that India is lacking in the area of research. Despite the large number of publications coming from India, the majority are cited from a very small number of prestigious institutions, limiting India's global collaboration potential. Without developing a stronger research ecosystem, it will be difficult for India to gain access to Doctoral Students, Global Faculty and Innovation-Driven Investments.

Throughout the document, the authors made reference to India's ancient centres of learning such as Nalanda, Takshashila, and Vikramshila, serving as a reminder that global education has a long history in the Indian subcontinent. What is new is the scale of competition.

By 2047, India faces a choice: remain a net exporter of talent or rebuild universities that draw the world in. The ambition is bold. Whether the system can reform fast enough to match it remains an open question.