Why retaining talent in India will require more than foreign campuses

Source: The post is based on an article “Why retaining talent in India will require more than foreign campuses” published in The Indian Express on 17^th January 2023.

Syllabus: GS 2 – Governance

Relevance: measures needed to retain Indian talent

News: Government is planning to open doors for campuses of foreign universities in India. However, highlights of the different reports show that simply allowing foreign campuses in India would not be enough to retain Indian talent.

What are highlights of different reports?

US State Department: According to the data compiled by the US State Department, an increasing number of Indian students studying in the US are staying back after their degree to join that country’s workforce.

In 2021-22, nearly 35 per cent of the 1.99 lakh Indian students in American universities enrolled in the Optional Training Programmes that allow foreign students with F-1 visas to join paid or voluntary work for up to three years in the US.

OECD report: According to an OECD report on international migration patterns, Indians studying in economically developed countries are the most likely among all foreign students to join the local workforce.

The transition rates from study permits to work permits were far higher in Indians compared to the Chinese.

The report for 2021-22 showed that 38 per cent of Indian students in American campuses study mathematics and computer sciences due to the increase in demand globally for skills related to digital technology, data analysis and cyber security.

What can be the way ahead?

Bringing foreign campuses of prestigious foreign universities may not be enough to retain talent in the country.  Government and industry bodies also need to come with reforms in education along with the job market.