Three reasons Indians like to study abroad

Summer's almost here, and Embassies and Consulates of USA, UK, Germany and the like are gearing up for an influx of student visa applications, especially for post-graduate programmes. Not surprising, since India is the second largest exporter of international students. According to Indian Student Mobility Research Report by Education Research firm MM Advisory Services, international students from India topped 300,000 in 2014 and 3,40,000 in 2015. That's more than China in both years, reports CNBC-TV18's Aishwarya Nir.

So what makes bright Indian minds skip Indian educational institutions when looking for a place to study for an advanced degree?

Quality Education

One of the most common responses we got from students to this question was that Indian institutions just do not offer top-class academic programmes. Puneet Kaur, an MBA student, says he enrolled at SP Jain Global Management Programme only because the programme gives its students international exposure through an exchange programme with xxx. "Indian postgraduate institutions do not have an evolved methodology of teaching, students are still learning things the way their parents or grand parents did", she says.

Experts may disagree with this perspective, and argue that where hard sciences are concerned, India institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology, the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and a few others can give international universities a run for their money. But the fact remains that these institutions are few and far between, are often embroiled in a tug-of-war with government, and are limited in the number of students they can serve.

For many, it's policies on Indian education that act as a deterrent to pursue higher education on Indian shores. As Puneet Kaur explains, "The system of reservation thatb we have in India is very unnerving and stressful." And let's not even get into the fact that for many students, the course they can enroll for is determined by a third party, after which the college they should go to is alloted to them.

The Foreign Experience

Call it bragging rights, or call it the yearning for a wider exposure -- the allure of a foreign education for extra-curricular reasons is undeniable. Add to that the idea of living independent of the family circle and the freedoms associated with it, and Indian institutions find themselves in a no-win situation.

In the words of Siddhant Sharma, a Fellow at Teach For India and a US Resident who has returned to India to understand the country's problems with education, "For an average student, it's the prospect of a better standard of living and the chance to experience western culture first hand that serves as a big pull factor."

Rosier Job Prospects & Eventual Emigration

Maybe it's a perception problem, maybe not; But students believe a foreign degree or diploma opens more doors for better jobs than an Indian equivalent, especially when it comes to securing employment overseas. " I believe you have better chances of getting the job you aspire for if you have a degree from a foreign university" says Sonali Pawar, a PG student at XIC, MumbaiThe penchant for such a life has gone up considerably, since people of Indian origin like Laxmi Mittal, Indira Nooyi, Sunder Pichai and Satya Nadella have become founts of inspiration across the world. Further, while most people are hesitant to admit it, coming back to India before reaching retirement age is just not on the cards; and a foreign education is the first step to reach this end." The motivation is there to settle abroad or acquire a green card for many of the Indian students wanting to pursue their education abroad." says Naveen Chopra of The Chopra's, Study Overseas Consultant.