There is a consistent increase in the number of mobile students looking for better educational and skills-based opportunities and in this Indian and Chinese student lead the way. However, in 2022, the number of Indian students pursuing higher education abroad exceeded 7,50,365 surpassing China as well its own figure of 444,553 in 2021. The primary challenge concerning Indian students opting for higher education abroad is the lack of quality education, academic commitment, and exposure provided by universities in India as compared to the universities in Western countries. This paper is an attempt to understand the demography of outward mobility of Indian students- their region of origin in India, their socio-economic conditions, and background. Secondly, the research aims to comprehend the underlying factors that drive Indian students to pursue higher education in a particular destination country. The paper also seeks to identify the push factors which are influencing Indian students’ decisions to pursue higher education overseas in the last few years. The paper investigates the challenges and opportunities in the outward migration of Indian students for education. The methodology employed for data collection in this study involves both- qualitative and quantitative approaches through an empirical study of surveys and interviews to be conducted with Indian students who have studied abroad or planning to do so. By examining the push and pull factors, this study aims to gain insights into the areas of concerns that do not align with the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (inclusive and equitable education). Consequently, it examines the initiatives implemented by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to address these issues and highlights potential solutions.
Key words: Migration, Pull factor, Job opportunity, Quality education, India and Students.
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