Higher-Education-human resources for tomorrow

Market Updates

• Third largest in the world, next to China and the United States

• At 10.5 million, the number of students enrolled is the third largest globally

• The largest number of higher education institutions in the world.

• The number of students enrolled annually – 20.5 million

• Spends USD 4bn annually on higher education abroad

• GER (Gross Enrolment Ratio) is around 12 percent, and the Government of India wants to increase this to 25 per cent by 2017 and to 30 percent by 2020.

The Indian education system is experiencing major tremors from all sides.

India educates approximately 10 percent of its young people in higher education,  relatively low by international standards. There are quite a few high quality higher education institutions in India – but the world-class institutions are mainly limited to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and others such as the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research – just to name a few. Such excellent institutions, combined, enroll well under 1 percent of the student population. Indian higher education is advances, but doesn’t cater to the tremendous needs of the young people. ¹ [¹Altbach 2005]

There is clearly a need for an increase in the provision of high quality higher education in India. Although the Indian government is planning to establish new universities and colleges in the near future, these may not be enough to provide places for all students who seek higher education. Consequently increasing numbers of Indian students are seeking higher education opportunities internationally. Also, Indian educational institutions are increasingly partnering with foreign ones to find the win-win scenario for the future.

To cater to this steadily growing requirement, the Indian universities are experimenting with several initiatives including twinning and franchise programs, internationalization of education, and academic fusion.  Today, approximately 21 million students go abroad for higher studies on a year-on-year basis, creating an opportunity for international universities to collaborate in this sector’s growth opportunities.