National Indian Students

 Indian student numbers in the UK had fallen from a peak of about 40,000 to about 17,000.  At the same time, the numbers at US institutions had grown dramatically from an already  high base of 100,000.Indian student numbers are “increasing everywhere…even in  Germany, which has just crossed 10,000 students for the first time .As Indian students  spent about £32,000 a year on average while in the UK, Mr Patnaik said “it is Britain who is  the loser” from the reduction in student numbers.However, not having Indian political  leaders educated in the UK could pose a greater problem between the two countries in the  long term, he added, observing that leaders including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal  Nehru were alumni of UK universities.

“That brought great links between our countries and the diaspora continued it, but if we look   at 10 years from today we will not have that,” he said.

“ We will have people who come here, do not feel good and do not come back,” he added,      saying that both countries needed to “work together to bring the education sector into          

focus so  students feel comfortable here”.Other speakers at the event, which was hosted by Indian edtech firm SkillTree and communications consultancy Sterling Media,included Sanam Arora, president of the National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK, who said that the UK needed to be aware of the influence that Indian-born graduates now wielded in business and politics.