What Pushes Indian Engineers to Leave for the US?

During conversations with engineers or IIT graduates, a common aspiration emerges – their plans to move abroad for higher education or career opportunities. 

India has long faced the challenge of brain drain, and the issue continues to escalate. The country is now poised to become the world’s leading exporter of students. 

To understand the broader implications, AIM spoke with professor V Ramgopal Rao, group vice chancellor of BITS Pilani and former director of IIT Delhi. “Our 23 IITs admit about 16,000 undergraduates annually, and our 20 AIIMS enroll around 2,000 MBBS students. In contrast, a single large US university might admit as many undergraduates as all our IITs combined,” Rao pointed out.

He suggested that government policies should foster the creation of significant endowment funds similar to those at top US universities. Additionally, introducing ‘study-now-pay-later’ schemes, like Australia’s Higher Education Loan Program (HELP), could make higher education more accessible. 

These programs allow students to defer tuition payments until their income surpasses a set threshold, balancing immediate educational needs with long-term financial sustainability.

The Mindset Shift

In the past, studying abroad was often seen as a straightforward path. Students and job aspirants who could afford expenses between ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore could invest in an average or top 150 university in the US or Canada, secure a job, and consider their future set. However, that is no longer the case.

While sharing his experience of studying abroad, Harnoor Singh, a software engineer at Microsoft, said, “Today, I see students at institutions like Georgia Tech leaving behind lucrative job offers in India, packages ranging from ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore, to pursue education in the US. This trend contributes to a significant brain drain for India.”

He added that even those attending top universities like the University of California, Berkeley face uncertainty. For instance, a professor at UC Berkeley, a leading feeder school for Google, has pointed out that a degree alone is no longer enough to secure employment.

Sharing his story on his YouTube channel, Singh mentioned, “I made the decision to study in the US eight years ago with one goal in mind: pursuing computer science (CS). In India, getting into a top-tier institution for CS meant securing an exceptional JEE rank, which I knew might not be feasible. Even if I had gained admission, I might have ended up in a decent university without my preferred major. That realisation led me to explore international options, targeting universities that offered scholarships and aligned with my academic and financial goals.”

So, failure is not an option when it comes to the decision to move abroad. Many successful entrepreneurs and professionals in the US, including nearly 45% of Fortune 500 founders and 50% of emerging startups, come from immigrant backgrounds. They thrive because they are forced into an environment where they must excel or risk going back home.

In contrast, in India, an income of ₹1-2 lakh per month can provide a comfortable lifestyle with good food, housing, and transportation. This often leads people to stay within their comfort zones, maintaining a mediocrity mindset. There’s a safety net, family support, and stability that discourages taking big risks.

However, the stakes are different in the US. Having no fallback compels one to push themselves harder, innovate, and create opportunities. This is why many aim for O-1 visas to become entrepreneurs, go the extra mile in their careers, and do whatever it takes to stay and succeed.

What’s Next?

The National Education Policy 2020 opened new avenues, allowing India’s publicly funded higher education institutions to set up campuses abroad. IIT Delhi was the first to seek government approval for this. Now, both IIT Delhi and IIT Madras have been greenlit to establish campuses in Abu Dhabi and Tanzania, respectively. Other IITs might follow soon. This is indeed a historic leap for India, as the country’s premier institutions extend their reach overseas.

Rao mentioned that setting up international campuses isn’t without its challenges. Navigating regulatory landscapes, securing resources, maintaining quality standards, and upholding institutional values across borders are no small feat. It’s crucial not to rush this expansion. 

“We need to see how these two campuses fare before jumping into further ventures. With thoughtful planning and execution, the potential benefits, boosting global rankings, enhancing reputation, and fostering growth, could well outweigh the hurdles,” he said. 

As India works towards its vision of becoming a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047, the Union Budget for 2025-26 addressed the brain drain issue head-on with measures aimed at strengthening India’s IITs.

The Budget raised the funding for IITs to ₹11,349 crore, a 10% increase from the previous year. It also laid the groundwork for expanding infrastructure to accommodate a growing student population, with a focus on new hostels and academic buildings. 

This expansion will particularly benefit the IITs established after 2014, such as those in Tirupati, Palakkad, Bhilai, Jammu, and Goa. Moreover, the Budget proposes 10,000 fellowships for technological research, providing enhanced financial support to researchers at IITs and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

With these initiatives, IITs are set for greater growth, supporting India’s ambition to retain and nurture its brightest minds and paving the way for a self-sufficient future.