A burgeoning cosmopolitan class in India is seeking fresh experiences overseas and changing worldwide education patterns, making international education a top priority for many students from smaller towns and strengthening India’s position as a top pursuer of study abroad.
Due to financial choices, scholarships, social networking, and affordability, goals have changed dramatically. Sanjay Laul, the founder and advisor of education management company M Square Media (MSM), confirms this trend. “Our recent data support this growth trajectory, demonstrating the tenacity of these small-town students in overcoming global economic uncertainties and securing their dreams of a world-class education,” says Laul.
Vijayawada, Vizag, Surat, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Lucknow, Raipur, Bhopal, Mysore, and Dehradun are setting new standards for India’s small towns with a surge of applications. Post-pandemic internet and online methods have removed the geographic barrier for prospective international students from these areas.
Even rural places like Jharsuguda in Odisha, Gurdaspur in Punjab, Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh, and the Andaman Islands are seeing an increase in study-abroad queries. “We’re witnessing that students in rural towns and cities are just as ambitious and skilled as their metro counterparts. Students in big cities are no longer the only ones who want a ‘white degree,’” Laul says.
Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter have introduced global academic trends to small-town aspirations. Western education is increasingly affordable with rising middle-class salaries and improved student financing choices.
India’s economy, meanwhile, is poised to benefit from small-town India’s rising global aspirations. This shift could help India become an advanced economy in a few decades.
“Every Indian student pursuing education overseas is not just an individual fulfilling a personal dream, but a part of a larger, dynamic force propelling India forward on the global stage,” adds Laul. “MSM is excited to help more Indian students achieve their international education dreams.”
The change extends beyond education. ‘White degrees,’ international luxury brands, and travel are linked. E-commerce has made premium brands available to rural India. Ludhiana, Kanpur, Guwahati, Salem, Surat, Madurai, and Indore are now buying Lamborghini cars, once a prestige symbol only in metros.
Travel has changed too. Smaller towns are taking more trips abroad due to cheaper flights and competitive travel market costs, increasing their desire for international education and global lifestyles.
Purchase choices reflect shifting aspirations and global outlook. Laul adds that the same aspiration that propels a student from a rural community to an international university is changing consumption patterns. “What we’re seeing here is the emergence of a new, globally conscious middle class in India, one that’s as comfortable in an American or European university as they are in a high-end car showroom,” Laul, who has been in the education business for decades, explains.
The internet has connected small towns and metropolises in India, enabling substantial social change. Social media networks deliver immediate information on Western technology, entertainment, and consumption patterns to faraway locations.
“The spread of the internet and the rise of social media have significantly contributed to globalizing India’s small towns,” says Laul. “Students in these regions now have access to the same information as those in big cities, making them equally competitive and aspirational.”
India’s economy will benefit from the reduction in consumption and the knowledge gap between big cities and small communities, its large youth population seeking global exposure in the decades to come.
“The evolution of small-town India holds immense potential for the country’s socio-economic development,” Laul says. “With a generation of globally educated youth returning with fresh ideas and perspectives, the impact on India’s growth trajectory will be profound.”