“In recent years, the steady outflow of highly skilled Indians in search of better prospects has increased more than ever and now poses a serious challenge to the country’s long-term economic and intellectual capital. The pursuit of superior education opportunities, global career opportunities, higher compensation, superior infrastructure, and stronger research ecosystems has fuelled what is increasingly called ‘The Great Indian Migration’. As an educationist and entrepreneur, I find this trend to be a matter of concern.
Some reports indicate that our country’s Brain Drain Index is much higher than that of China, the United States, and other such developed economies. In the year 2025 alone, over 1.8 million Indian students were estimated to be studying abroad (with return rates going frequently below 30%). The gravity of the issue is such that the cumulative impact of this talent outflow has the power to reduce our annual GDP growth by 1% to 2%.
With the Union Budget 2026 about to be announced, policymaking is expected to account for these realities. While last year’s budget focused on areas such as income tax reforms, development of infrastructure, technology, healthcare, and artificial intelligence, the need of the hour is a more sustained emphasis on strengthening domestic education systems, research institutions, industry–academia collaboration, and employment pathways, which can help ensure that global talent mobility begins to work in our country’s favour rather than against it.”
