What Should You Be Doing to Recruit Students from India

India is now the top source country for US international students, surpassing China. But for institutions wondering how to recruit international students from India effectively, the answer isn't a bigger ad spend or a longer list of agent relationships. It's a fundamental rethink of how you approach the market. That's the conversation in Episode 12 of Higher Ed Chats, where Scott Miller sits down with Rajika Bhandari, scholar, author, and one of the most respected voices in international education research, to unpack what's actually driving Indian student mobility and what institutions need to understand to compete.

Bhandari opens with the historical context that most recruitment teams skip: Indian students have been going abroad for formal education since the 1800s, first to the UK, then to the US. That deep-rooted tradition means the pipeline isn't going away. But it is shifting. Recent policy restrictions in Canada and Australia haven't put Indian students off studying abroad. They've redirected them, toward the UK, Europe, and the Gulf. Institutions that only watch the US-India relationship are missing the competitive picture.

The conversation also covers two structural forces that are quietly reshaping who goes abroad, not just how many. The rise of no-cosigner student loan products, like Empower Financing, has opened the door for students whose families couldn't previously pledge collateral or ancestral property. As Bhandari puts it: "It is also really, really diversified the type of students going abroad where the idea of getting that foreign credential is now not just accessible to more elite or affluent families, but in fact, someone who has the interest, who has the desire, who has the smarts, but may not have the resources can now actually think about creating that future for themselves." That's a meaningful shift in the talent profile institutions can expect to attract.

Post-study work rights emerge as the single most decisive factor in destination choice, more than cost, rankings, or geography. Bhandari cites the UK's experience as empirical proof: when post-study work rights were restricted, enrollment fell; when they were restored, it recovered. The lesson for institutions in any country is direct.

The episode closes on a point that shapes everything else: institutions that treat India as a recruitment pipeline rather than a partner will fall behind. Genuine engagement with Indian universities means faculty exchanges, research collaboration, and, as Bhandari puts it, "a mindset shift, where they're really viewing an Indian institution as an equal partner." It's not a soft idea; it's what durable recruitment relationships actually require.

Hear the full conversation to understand how the India market is being reshaped and what your institution should be doing differently.

Who’s in the episode?

Rajika Bhandari is an international higher education expert and a scholar-practitioner with over 25 years of experience. Rajika is also the principal for her consultancy, Rajika Bhandari Advisors, which focuses on data-driven consulting for global higher education institutions, nonprofits, and mission-driven companies.

Scott Miller is the host of Keystone Higher Ed Chats and the Executive Director of Keystone's international division, bringing over 11 years of EdTech experience to conversations about global education.

After graduating from DePauw University, living and working in different cultures showed him that stepping outside your comfort zone doesn't just broaden your horizons; it reshapes them entirely. That belief in the transformative power of international experiences brought Scott to Keystone in 2010, where he's spent over a decade (and counting) helping higher education institutions reach students worldwide.

On Keystone Higher Ed Chats, Scott speaks with thought-leaders in the industry about what he's most passionate about: how education changes lives, how cultural experiences broaden perspectives at any age, and how Keystone's mission—connecting students with their ideal higher education institution—makes those life-changing moments possible.

Timestamps & Takeaways

Timestamps

Takeaways

Post-study work rights matter more than tuition cost or prestige
As Rajika Bhandari put it, the data is clear: every time a country restricts post-study work opportunities, enrollment from India drops visibly. The UK's experience is the most direct evidence. When those rights were curtailed, numbers fell; when reinstated, they recovered. Institutions recruiting from India should make post-study work pathways a front-and-center message in all India-facing content and enrollment communications, not a footnote.

Canada and Australia visa restrictions are sending students your way — if you're ready
Stricter policies in Canada and Australia aren't discouraging Indian students from going abroad. They're redirecting them to the UK, Europe, and the Gulf. Institutions in these markets that have clear visa timelines, post-study work policies, and active India outreach are well-positioned to absorb that redirected demand. Waiting for students to find you won't work. The institutions already in market will capture them first.

No-cosigner loans have changed who can afford to study abroad
Rajika described the old reality bluntly: families pledging ancestral property to fund a child's foreign education. Products like Empower Financing have broken that barrier, opening outbound mobility to students who have the drive and the grades but not the family wealth. For recruitment teams, this means your India pool is now significantly broader than it was five years ago. Messaging that speaks only to elite families misses a large and growing share of prospective applicants.

India's 2020 National Education Policy opens the door for foreign institution partnerships
The policy was the first revision to India's education framework in 34 years and it explicitly allows foreign institutions to set up campuses and partnerships in India. The Indian government's "Study in India" initiative runs alongside it. For institutions exploring dual-degree programs, research partnerships, or physical presence in India, the regulatory environment is more permissive than it's ever been, and the window to establish early footholds is open now.

Treat Indian institutions as equal partners, not recipient pipelines
Bhandari was direct on this point: the mindset shift required for genuine India partnerships is viewing Indian institutions as equals, not as beneficiaries. Faculty exchanges, joint research, co-developed curricula create lasting relationships and produce better student pipelines as a byproduct. Institutions that approach India with a transactional "send us your best students" posture will find doors closing as Indian universities become more selective about who they partner with.

STEM concentration is a strategic fit, but broaden your messaging beyond it
India's concentration in STEM fields aligns with workforce needs in the US and other Western markets, and that alignment drives real institutional interest in Indian students. But institutions risk narrowing their India strategy too much if STEM is the only story they tell. Indian students span a wide range of disciplines, and recruitment messaging that positions only engineering and computer science pathways will miss prospective students in business, social sciences, and the arts.

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What Should You Be Doing to Recruit Students from India

Who’s in the episode?

Rajika Bhandari

Scott Miller

Timestamps & Takeaways

Timestamps

Takeaways

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