New Delhi, March 6 (IANS) Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Friday said that education-as-a-service has the potential to contribute to India’s export earnings and help take high-quality Indian education to the rest of the world.

Addressing the Vice Chancellors’ Conference on the theme “Reimagining Internationalisation of Higher Education for a Developed India 2047,” Goyal called for proactive engagement with vice chancellors to shape the future of higher education in India.

“Exposure to India will help students from developed countries in their future careers,” he noted.

Highlighting the National Education Policy 2020, the minister said it was shaped through consultations with nearly three lakh stakeholders. He also pointed out measures allowing international campuses, dual degrees, and cross-border student exchanges.

Goyal suggested programmes where foreign students could spend one year in India and two years abroad, fostering an understanding of developing countries’ perspectives.

He urged higher education institutions to modernise curricula, retrain teachers, and incorporate subjects such as international trade and India’s FTAs.

“India could reverse the current ratio of 28 Indian students studying abroad for every foreign student in India, attracting around 1.3 million international students in the coming years,” he said.

He also highlighted that Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are increasingly recognising services, including education.

He said India’s approach to global engagement has shifted, with the country negotiating from strength rather than a colonial mindset.

“Nearly two-thirds of global trade is now covered under India’s FTAs,” he added.

The minister also welcomed the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) and the Ministry of Commerce’s efforts to explore the global potential of Indian education.

Goyal added that the future growth engines of the world will likely be developing countries like India, and stressed that understanding global economic opportunities will help students contribute to India’s vision of a Viksit Bharat during the Amrit Kaal.

–IANS

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