Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/269179
62 March/April 2014 BizEd research India's Growing Education Market With the United Nations estimating that India's population will surpass that of China by approximately 2028, the number of educational providers within India—both foreign and domestic—will continue to increase and improve in quality, says Richard Everitt, director of education and society for the British Council in India. "We are entering a new era where tradi- tional flows are being disrupted for a number of reasons," he says. "The U.K. is the No. 1 choice for young Indians who want to study overseas, but there are new dynamics coming into play. U.K. universities may want to consider how they are demonstrating their quality, their value, and related incentives." The report is available for purchase at http://ihe.britishcouncil.org/educationintelligence/ inside-india-new-status-quo. ThE BrITIsh CounCIl's Education Intelligence in the United Kingdom recently surveyed more than 10,000 students from across India about their educational goals. The council's report "Inside India: A New Status Quo" notes that 67 percent of these students felt that having greater access to international higher education opportunities would help strengthen India's position in the global economy. Forty-two percent of students sur- veyed noted that newspapers were their primary sources to learn about interna- tional study opportunities. The report also predicts that the flow of Indian students to institutions in the rest of the world could begin to decrease in the years to come. As the Indian government places greater empha- sis on improving the quality of and access to higher education, more students are opt- ing to enroll in local institutions. "For many years India has provided an increasing flow of international students to study destinations such as the U.K., the U.S., and Australia," says Elizabeth Shepherd, research director for Education Intelligence. "With the fluctuating trends in Indian stu- dents' overseas priorities and the expand- ing education sector in India, it's even more important to understand the factors driving higher education decision making." E r i k Dr EyE r /G Etty i MAG Es; tkAcch u k/th i n kstock US$100,000 .04% Average disposable household income required to fund study abroad Percentage of Indian households that can afford to fund international education Most preferred study destination among Indian students:* U.K. .................................... 19% U.S. ................................... 17% India ................................... 15% Australia ............................. 11% Canada ................................. 6% Most important factors when selecting a study destination: Quality of education .............. 61% Cost of studying and living ..... 43% Scholarship availability ........... 42% Post-graduation work opportunities .............. 22% Biggest deterrents to studying overseas: High cost ................................ 65% Difficulty obtaining visas ........ 45% Lack of scholarships ............... 42% Lack of work opportunities .... 35% *Source: "Inside India: A New Status Quo"