New Delhi, Jan. 29 -- India needs structural higher education reforms to address the significant imbalance in international student mobility that contributes to brain drain and outward remittances, according to the Economic Survey 2025-26.

Despite India being one of the world's largest domestic education systems, the country faces a widening "education deficit", according to the survey tabled in the Parliament on Thursday. With 28 Indian students going abroad for every international student choosing India, the document said, the country has officially emerged as the world's largest source country for international students.

To counter these challenges, the survey has recommended an aggressive "education-tourism" strategy. This involves ...