Why 8.95 Lakh Indians DITCHED Foreign Dreams in 2024 - The ₹50 Crore Reason Will Make You Cancel Your Visa Application RIGHT NOW!
Priya Kumari • October 5th, 2025 • 5 min read • 👁️ 17 views • 💬 0 comments
##### Picture this: It's 2023, and Rohit from Pune is celebrating his Canada visa approval, while Priya from Chennai is packing her bags for the UK.
Fast forward to 2024, and both are back in India—not by choice, but because their "foreign dreams" turned into expensive nightmares.
Welcome to The Great Resettling,
.png%3FupdatedAt%3D1759643140297&w=3840&q=75)
Sharp decline in Indian students going abroad after 2023 peak
The Shocking Numbers That Will Make You Question Everything
Hold onto your chai cups, because these stats will blow your mind:
- 15% DROP: Indian students abroad crashed from 8.95 lakh in 2023 to just 7.59 lakh in 2024
- Canada got BRUTAL: 41% decline! From 2.33 lakh to just 1.37 lakh students
- UK said "Tata-bye-bye": 28% drop, from 1.36 lakh to 98,000 students
- US also showed the door: 13% decline, affecting 2+ lakh dreams
But wait, there's more! Indians lost a whopping ₹136 crore just in Schengen visa rejections in 2024.
That's 1.65 lakh rejected applications—money thrown into European embassy trash cans!
.png%3FupdatedAt%3D1759643140319&w=3840&q=75)
Dramatic declines in Indian student enrollment across major Western destinations
Why the "Foreign Dream" Became a Living Nightmare in 2024
1. The Visa Horror Show
Remember when getting a student visa was just paperwork? Not anymore!
- US student visa rejections hit "phenomenal" levels
- Canada’s diplomatic drama with India made visas nearly impossible
- Schengen countries rejected Indians left, right, and center
2. The Job Market Became a Graveyard
That Computer Science degree from Canada? Congrats, you're now delivering food on Uber Eats!
- 51% of international grads in Australia end up in low-skilled jobs
- Indian students working below minimum wage, no benefits, night shifts
- H1-B workers in US facing mass layoffs and uncertainty
3. The Money Drain Got REAL
Your parents' dream of "beta foreign se paisa bhejega" crashed harder than crypto in 2022:
- Rupee weakened from ₹82 to ₹87 per dollar
- Living costs skyrocketed while part-time job wages stayed flat
- Students juggling 3 jobs just to pay rent
Plot Twist: India Became the Cool Kid on the Block!
While Indians were struggling abroad, something MASSIVE was happening back home:
.png%3FupdatedAt%3D1759643140237&w=3840&q=75)
India's Startup Revolution is INSANE!
From 502 startups in 2016 to 1.57 LAKH in 2024!
- 112 unicorns and counting
- 51%+ of new startups coming from Tier-2 cities
- 17.28 lakh jobs created through Startup India alone
Tech Salaries That Make Silicon Valley Jealous
- AI/ML Architects earning up to ₹50 lakhs annually
- Fresh graduates getting ₹28,600/month starting salaries
- 20% job growth projected for 2025 in IT sector
- Hyderabad and Chennai emerging as new salary hotspots
The Reverse Brain Drain is REAL!
- Indians returning from Silicon Valley to start companies in Indian villages
- 83% of Indian workforce prefers entrepreneurship over employment
- Government initiatives like VAIBHAV Summit actively encouraging return migration
The Millennial Reality Check: Why "Foreign = Success" is Dead
For Students (18-25):
"Bro, why spend 50 lakhs on Canadian college when IIT Hyderabad offers better ROI?"
- Indian universities improving research facilities rapidly
- Digital India creating massive internship opportunities
- Startup culture offering real experience over theoretical degrees
For Working Professionals (25-35):
"That H1-B uncertainty is not worth losing sleep over family time"
- Work-life balance in Indian companies improving
- Remote work making location irrelevant
- Indian companies offering global projects without visa hassles
For Family Decision-Makers (35+):
"Beta, ghar pe hi sab kuch mil raha hai!"
- Healthcare infrastructure improving across cities
- Education quality gap reducing significantly
- Cultural values and family proximity winning over foreign "status"
The 2025 Crystal Ball: Why This Trend Will Only Accelerate
Global Factors Working AGAINST Migration:
- Trump 2.0 Effect: Stricter immigration policies expected
- Post-COVID Protectionism: Countries prioritizing local talent
- Economic Uncertainty: Developed countries facing recession fears
- Climate of Suspicion: Rising anti-immigrant sentiment globally
🇮🇳 India Factors Working FOR Staying:
- Digital India 2.0: UPI processing 19.63 billion transactions monthly
- Startup Funding Recovery: VC funding up 43% to $13.7 billion in 2024
- Infrastructure Boom: Metro cities becoming truly world-class
- Cultural Renaissance: Pride in "Made in India" reaching new heights
The Bottom Line: The Smart Money is on India Now!
Listen up, India! The data doesn't lie.
While our cousins are struggling to survive in Toronto winters delivering DoorDash,
our startup founders are building the next Flipkart from Bangalore coffee shops.
While students are taking massive loans for uncertain foreign futures,
Indian AI companies are offering fresher packages that would make Wall Street analysts jealous.
The Great Resettling isn't just about coming back—it's about realizing we never needed to leave in the first place.
The question isn't "Should I go abroad?" anymore.
It's "Can I afford NOT to be part of India's golden decade?"
Your move, dreamers. Choose wisely! 🇮🇳
