The 25:1 problem: What India loses when students leave and don’t return

India’s brain drain is not just about students leaving—it is about a system that sends talent out at scale while struggling to attract it in. As outbound mobility surges and inbound remains thin, internationalisation turns one-way. The fix is not guilt or rhetoric, but making Indian campuses reliable, competitive spaces where staying—or coming—feels like a smart, credible choice.