India has always been considered as a PG market, however there is a growing segment of UG aspirants. Here are some insights.

1. June 2015
Undergraduate Student Recruitment
In India: A Snapshot
1 Sannam S4 – Market Entry Simplified
India, second in the list of outbound student mobility for higher education only after China, has been labeled as a
market for postgraduate student recruitment. In the past few years, the socio economic changes have allowed
India to become a noticeable undergraduate market.
Indian schools are affiliated to state, national or the international boards. A large portion of undergraduate
student recruitment for studying abroad is believed to be from the schools that follow the international or the
national boards. The decision to study abroad is propelled by the factors like awareness, affordability and
aspiration of the students and their parents.
Kodaikanal International School, established in 1901, is the oldest school in India and acquired the status of
International school in 1976 after adopting International Baccalaureate diploma program becoming the first
international school in India.
Cambridge International Examination
(CIE), International Baccalaureate (IB), The
Association of International Schools of
India (TAISI), The Specialist Schools and
Academies Trust (SSAT), The Near East
South Asia Schools Council (NESA) are
some of the popular International Boards.
The number of International schools in
India was just over 400 in 2010 comprising
of 242 schools following CIE and 80 schools
following IB syllabus
[1]
.
While number of International schools
rose to 400 in 2010 from just above 20 in
the early 1990s the student enrolment has
also seen an exponential raise. From an enrolment of just over 500 students in 2006, the enrolment shot up to
1,600 in 2010 for IB syllabus alone. More than 60% of Indian schools are affiliated to Central Board of Secondary
Education (CBSE) and Indian School Certificate Examinations (ICSE), the two largest National Boards of India.
According to the recent educational statistics of India, published by The Ministry of Human Resource Department
(MHRD), a total of 22 million students enroll into Senior Secondary (XI
th
and XII
th
) each year at 102,558 schools
spread across India. British Boarding schools have turned into a favourite destination for the Indian elite; the
current top choices include Sevenoaks, Charterhouse, Winchester, Harrow, Eton, and Wycombe Abbey. The tuition
fee ranges between USD 55,000 to 60,000
[2]
.
"Despite the frightful expense, there is a growing trend of parents wanting to send their children to English boarding schools
for the 11th and 12th grades,"
Viral Doshi, Educational Counselor, Mumbai.
[2]
The competition for quality undergraduate education in India can be estimated by comparing the number of
students from the Senior Secondary school to the total number of seats available for them at the top institutions.
Name of the Institution Number of Institutions Total Number of Seats (UG & PG)*
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) 17 9,885
National Institute of Technology (NIT) 30 15,485
Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) 8 827
Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) 3 1,985
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) 7 672
Total 65 28,854
52
30
17 15
11 10 10 9 7 5
Number of International Schools at different cities in India
[1]

2. June 2015
Undergraduate Student Recruitment
In India: A Snapshot
2 Sannam S4 – Market Entry Simplified
Engineering is one of the most popular courses in India and the table below explains the reduced growth in
number of institutions despite the huge demand for engineering courses.
The competition to acquire the limited seats is fierce and the reservation system
[3]
in India only adds to the
students’ despair. MHRD in association with University Grants Commission (UGC) has been working swiftly to
address the gap. 91 universities have been added in the past two years, but these universities have a long road
ahead to achieve the quality standards of top institutes in India.
Observing the increasing demand for courses at the UG level, Delhi University has announced additional 2,000
seats to accommodate more students from the academic year 2015-16.
"There are certain popular courses like Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS) and sociology which are offered at fewer colleges.
The panel has approved their introduction in more number of colleges"
Prof Nachiketa Singh, Member of Standing Committee, Delhi University
MHRD has brought out initiatives to address both the capacity and quality concerns of Indian higher education
system. IITs and IIMs have been announced for every state. As an initiative to improve the quality standards of
India higher education, MHRD has announced centrally sponsored scheme of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan
(RUSA). Under RUSA, participating States are permitted to mobilize 50% of the State contribution of funding
through Public-Private Partnerships, Corporate Social Responsibility funds, philanthropic contributions etc. These
funds will be spent on improving the quality of education.
As India works towards improving quality and capacity standards, the number of Indian students looking for
undergraduate studies abroad has been on the rise. Parents who can afford to send their children abroad are
actively looking at the opportunities in their reach.
Sannam S4 Education Research and Partnership team has conducted a qualitative analysis on the trends of UG
recruitment for education abroad and has observed an upward trend in the number of recruitments from India.
Three universities from three different countries (Canada, UK and USA) were observed and findings have been
anonymised on the request of the university officials.
Growth of Engineering Institutions in India
Year Institutions Growth (#) Growth (%)
2006-07 1,511
2007-08 1,668 157 10%
2008-09 2,388 720 43%
2009-10 2,972 584 24%
2010-11 3,222 250 8%
2011-12 3,286 171 5%
2012-13 3,369 83 3%
2013-14 3,384 15 0.5%
*(Source - http://www.aicte-india.org/)
[1]
Rise of International Schools in India by Dilip K.Prasad.
[2]
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/Baba-goes-to-boarding-school-in-Blighty/articleshow/47636970.cms
[3]
Reservation system in India is the process of setting aside a certain percentage of seats in government institutions for members
of backward and under-represented communities. Reservation is a form of quota-based affirmative action through which these communities
avail tuition fee waiver and other benefits.

3. June 2015
Undergraduate Student Recruitment
In India: A Snapshot
3 Sannam S4 – Market Entry Simplified
Case 1: UG recruitment trend for a Canadian University
The recruitment trend of one of the leading universities from Canada, which focuses only on undergraduate
student recruitment from India, has been encouraging. From 2013 to 2014 there has been a surge of 36% in the
number of applications to this particular university and another 36% increase from April 2014 to April 2015
resulting in an overall 85% compounded raise in the number of applications in the past two years. Canadian
universities, unlike the US and the UK universities impose a deposit from the student upon the acceptance of the
offer; hence, the acceptance of the offer implies that the applicants are genuine. The offer acceptance stood at
120% in 2015 compared to 2014, suggesting a high percentage of genuine undergraduate applicants.
The individual responsible for the institution’s promotional activities in India spends 140-150 days touring schools
far and wide in India.
Case 2: UG recruitment trend for a university from the United Kingdom
We interviewed one of the key officials from one of the top ten universities in the UK and this quote summarises
the trend of undergraduate recruitment for this particular university.
"It is also about informing prospective Indian students that the UK continues to welcome the brightest and best to study with
us. Despite the recent downturn in the number of Indians studying in the UK, current Indian enrolments at our university are
up 53% this year for Masters programmes and up 58% for undergraduate programmes - a trend we want to see continue at
our university”
Though the postgraduate numbers have been declining for the UK, due to a ban on post-study work opportunity
for the International students, 58% increase in undergraduate year-over-year exceeding the postgraduate
recruitment number by 5% clearly indicates the potential of India as a source for undergraduate student
recruitment. This institution has deployed two resources in India and both individuals spend a combined 90 to 100
days visiting agents, schools and colleges with 30% to 40% focused on UG recruitment.
Case 3: UG recruitment trend for a private university from the United States of America
USA has been the favorite destination for Indians to study abroad. PG courses in the US are popular among the
Indians students as the degree offers them OPT (optional practical training). Opting for OPT would allow the
students to stay in the US for a year after completing his/her studies and find work. They are also allowed to apply
for an official work permit during this period. USA, in general, has seen a declining trend in UG recruitment
between 2008 and 2012. But in the past two years the trend looks positive for this particular private university.
There has been a 100% increase in UG recruitment despite the high tuition fee ranging between USD 140,000 to
170,000 which is several times the PPP (purchasing power parity 2013 according to World Bank) of Indians at USD
5,350.
The cases stated above convey that the undergraduate recruitment in India is price insensitive and immigration
insensitive market and can fetch numbers if dealt with an informed and strategic approach.
Sannam S4 Education Research and Partnership Services
The Sannam S4 Education Research and Partnership Services (ERPS) consolidates Sannam S4’s vast experience in Research and
Partnerships by working with our national and international business partners to bring critical market information to you.
Sannam S4 supports over thirty international educational clients from six different countries all of whom are active recruiters
and recipients of International students. We undertake bespoke market research to create a smooth and successful roadmap on
gaining a foot hold in India, Brazil and China. Sannam S4 has offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai in India.
Sannam S4 has recently forayed into Brazil and has a presence in São Paulo and has partner offices in Beijing and Shanghai in
China.