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How India benefits from Indian graduates who return with foreign degrees

Studying abroad is a dream come true for hundreds of Indian students each year. Growing applications to top universities abroad is a testament to that. What opportunities they have once they graduate is a separate conversation altogether.

Of these hundreds, many secure jobs and work opportunities in the country where they earned their degree. Despite relaxing visa rules for students, the same cannot be said for work permits.

While you may get a student visa based on an admit to a foreign university and proof of financial security, work permits are lottery and consequently, luck based. At the same time, countries are extending the stay permitted past completing a degree so that students can look for a job. Nevertheless, permit uncertainty and a high cost of living may convince a student to return home.

Many students go abroad with the intent of returning home to work. Some others work there for a few years to pay off their student loans before coming back. And the rest decide to stay abroad. Most students return to India armed with industry exposure, a prestigious degree, and access to a global network. The effects of these resources are seen in the boom of start-ups in recent years. It’s almost as if a new unicorn crops up every month helmed by Indian students who graduated abroad. It’s a well-harped fact that the Indian demographic is young, and this post-liberalisation generation is unafraid to take risks with their ideas.

In most cases, foreign education is rigorous, research-oriented, and self study-based.

Compared with the more traditional and academically inclined education in India, this foreign degree speaks for a student’s soft skills. Many employers are looking for candidates who understand the industry and are coming in with fresh ideas. Students have come to gather the importance of internships and work experience while still in college. When you have experience in countries abroad, you make for a nearly perfect employee.

Furthermore, returning students can help raise export earnings. Because they are acclimated to foreign markets and their consumers, they are able to design products and services that cater to foreign needs. This income is crucial for the domestic economy in hedging against global fluctuations or uncertainties.

Apart from being a means to give the Indian economy a leg up, this returning demographic is also in touch with its roots. There are so many stories of successful executives who returned to India to start their venture in their home town or village. This grounds-up movement is not only a source of confidence but also a resource for long-term development. Even if influencers live abroad or return to India, they are able to represent the Indian perspective on the global stage across fields. How India will continue to benefit from its human resource capital is a waiting game.

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ReachIvy.com is a premium education and career advisory that helps aspiring students get accepted into top tier educational institutions globally. We have successful admits at MIT, Columbia, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, London School of Economics, University of Michigan, Oxford, and University of Chicago amongst others.

Vibha Kagzi, Founder and CEO, ReachIvy, holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Bachelor of Science from Carnegie Mellon University. She has also pursued courses at the University of California, Berkeley, the London School of Economics, and the Indian School of Business.

Our global team of counselors have also acquired their degrees from premier institutes and is passionate about sharing their experiences with students worldwide.