“We are looking for university partners from Europe, especially France and Germany. Though we already have a university from Finland and two from the US, we are definitely trying to create more partnerships there as well,” Aritra Ghosal, founder and director, OneStep Global, told The PIE News. 

The organisation, which started its operations in Gurgaon back in 2018, established new offices in Mumbai and Dubai in 2023. 

Success in these locations has led OneStep to explore emerging markets catering to Indian students, who are increasingly looking to study in alternative destinations. 

“In terms of Mumbai, we created our own office in late 2023 in the city and have close to 20 staff members. Though our larger operations remain in Delhi NCR, having a base in Mumbai was a no-brainer considering south and west India are huge markets from an international mobility perspective,” said Ghosal. 

“And with Dubai, a couple of universities wanted us to replicate what we are doing in South Asia in the Middle East. In the region, there is a lot of government impetus for students to go study abroad, there’s a huge expat population of Indian and South Asians who want their children to study in the West, and there are a lot of Indian parents in India who want to send their children to the Middle East.”

More than 150,000 Indian students pursue education in higher education institutions and private schools across the UAE. 

The popularity is such that one of India’s prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology – IIT Delhi – is set to begin undergraduate programs at its Abu Dhabi campus in September 2024. 

From just one university in 2018, OneStep now handles in-country representation and consulting projects for 30 universities in India from countries such as the UK, Ireland, Australia, the US, Finland, and New Zealand. 

The interest among international universities will lead to OneStep entering Southeast Asia by the end of 2024, according to Ghosal. 

“I have given myself until the end of the year to go ahead and initiate things in Vietnam and Malaysia. Southeast Asia is also of key interest to us,” stated Ghosal. 

“We want to be more diverse so that it doesn’t affect our business. But it’s also important for us to sustain what we have and keep a core focus on that as we have been trusted by some very big universities.” 

The organisation is also looking to bolster its senior management team in light of its expansion goals. 

With an increasing number of Indians studying abroad, and international universities pursuing research and academic collaborations in India, Ghosal believes it’s important for institutions to be more aware of the changes in the Indian market compared to previous years. 

“Earlier, there was a very traditional way of doing recruitment partnerships. You used to visit the universities and do course mapping for TNE, recruitments were mostly done through the schools directly or agencies,” said Ghosal. 

“In the last five-six years, we have seen the advent of technology in this space with edtech players booming. Second, universities post-Covid understood that business can’t be usual as they understood that it’s not just about booking a flight and going there, third, a whole new middle class has sprung up in India so not just tier 1 but tier-2 and 3 cities also need local support and deeper penetration from the players.” 

According to Ghosal, with the international education sector’s growth in India, there will also be increased vigilance on their operations in the country – which is why the company need sto choose their partners responsibly. 

However, a better environment for international universities is not just limited to keeping up with the latest trends and laws in India. 

“Universities also feel there should be some improvements. For example, some feel that there’s a lot of dependence on third-party stakeholders and would like to see more progress in direct recruitment. Actual partnerships in research, and student mobility, more government impetus through the budget or scholarships, and finding easier ways to do things in India are of priority to international universities,” he added. 

I have given myself till the end of the year to go ahead and initiate things in Vietnam and Malaysia

Aritra Ghosal, OneStep Global

With OneStep being the go-to company in India for universities such as the University of Reading, National College of Ireland, Stirling University, University of Birmingham, University of Sussex, University of Otago, and more, discussions about recent foreign campus regulations and GIFT City have happened but it’s still ‘baby steps’. 

“These things take time but we have started conversations about the recent regulations and what GIFT City has to offer with some. It takes a lot of investment to set up foreign campuses but since many universities have campuses in Malaysia and China, it’s time they look at India as well,” said Ghosal. 

While the rhetoric around the MAC Review, and restrictions on dependent visas contributed to a “perception change” about the UK, according to Ghosal, its immediate neighbour is proving to be an important player. 

“Ireland is a good destination for Indian students, with the employment opportunities being quite high. Ireland has done certain things very right such as tuition fees need to be paid in advance, you have to compulsorily take IELTS or TOEFL before your visas can be generated. It’s a risk-free destination,” stated Ghosal.