Study abroad consultant and co-owner of International English Language Testing System (IELTS), IDP Education plans to launch four new offices in India by this February, as it aims to expand its presence in the Indian market. The company plans to open student placement centres in North Delhi, Dilsukhnagar (Hyderabad), Khanna and Hoshiarpur (Punjab) besides expansion of the team at existing offices in Guwahati, Jammu, Calicut, and Trissur.
“The demand for international education is witnessing a boom currently. This is perhaps the golden period for Indian students aspiring to study abroad, as all major destination countries such as the US, UK, Canada, Australia, are competing to attract foreign students. Our aim is to delve deeper into the India market and enter the Tier two and Tier three cities to help students realise their dream of studying abroad,” Piyush Kumar, Regional Director- South Aisa and Mauritius, IDP Education, told FE Education Online.
According to a report by Redseer Strategy Consultants, nearly 1.8 million Indian students are expected to study abroad by 2024 with a total spending of over $75 billion. The company claims to provide free consultancy to students while it charges fees from its partner universities. “We have a commercial arrangement with over 800 universities globally. Our revenue is generated from marketing their products and services,” Kumar said. He added that the company also helps in student placement in non-partner universities.
Furthermore, commenting on the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) move to allow foreign universities to open campuses in India and its impact on migration of students abroad, Kumar said that the policy wouldn’t affect student mobility as aspirants would still look forward to study in a foreign country to experience a better ecosystem.
IDP claims to have undertaken measures to combat the cheating practice in IELTS examination, which is believed to be one of the major concerns lately. The company further claims to have adopted a CCTV surveillance mechanism to solve the problem. “We closely monitor all our exam centres through a centralised surveillance room. It has helped us to ensure that no person is able to forge identity and appear for the exam,” Kumar added.
