E-Paper
Why Indian researchers are looking beyond borders
This article is authored by Sandeep Sancheti, VP, academic relations, Global Strategic Networks, Elsevier.
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India’s research ecosystem is undergoing a profound transformation. Our universities are producing more research than ever before. Our scholars are increasingly visible in global journals, international collaborations are expanding, and emerging technologies such as AI are opening entirely new frontiers of discovery. Yet beneath this momentum lies a question policymakers, academic institutions, and industry leaders can no longer afford to ignore.
One statistic, in particular, brings the scale of this challenge into sharp focus: 52% of Indian researchers say they would consider moving abroad in the next two to three years—nearly double the global average of 29%.
At first glance, this may appear to be a warning sign, a potential continuation of the ‘brain drain’ narrative that India has grappled with for decades. But I believe the more important question is not simply why researchers want to leave, but what their aspirations are telling us about the next phase of India’s research journey.
As someone who has spent over four decades in academia, institution building, and engineering education, I see this data not as a crisis, but as a strategic signal. Today’s researchers are globally connected in ways previous generations were not. They collaborate across borders, access international databases in real time, co-author with peers across continents, and increasingly work on challenges that are global in nature, from climate resilience to biomedical innovation to artificial intelligence.
In that context, the desire to work abroad is not always a rejection of India. In many cases, it reflects a search for deeper exposure, stronger research ecosystems, access to cutting-edge infrastructure, and opportunities to work within high-performing collaborative environments.
This is where the distinction between brain-drain and brain circulation becomes critical.
If talented researchers leave India permanently because they do not see pathways for growth at home, that is brain drain. But if they move abroad to gain exposure, build networks, acquire expertise, and eventually bring that knowledge back, either physically, digitally, or through partnerships, that becomes brain circulation. The latter can be a tremendous national asset.
The challenge is that India must create the conditions for that return.
The same Elsevier study shows that 75% of Indian researchers believe collaboration is increasing and will continue to become more important in the future. This is an encouraging sign. Indian researchers clearly understand that knowledge creation today is network-driven, interdisciplinary, and global.
However, collaboration alone cannot compensate for structural gaps.
Many researchers across India continue to operate under intense publication pressure. In fact, Indian researchers report significantly higher pressure to publish than their global peers. Often, career progression is measured more by quantity than by long-term impact. At the same time, access to advanced laboratories, research management support, interdisciplinary mentorship, grant-writing assistance, and high-end computational infrastructure remains uneven across institutions. While some leading institutions are world-class, many researchers, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 institutions, continue to work within constrained ecosystems. This disparity shapes career decisions.
If a young researcher believes that better equipment, stronger mentorship, more predictable funding, or greater academic freedom exists elsewhere, mobility becomes a rational professional choice. And India is not alone in facing this challenge.
Countries such as Japan present an interesting contrast. Only around 9% of researchers there say they would consider relocating abroad. This is not because Japanese researchers lack global ambition. Rather, it reflects deep institutional confidence, strong domestic infrastructure, predictable funding ecosystems, established research pathways, and a culture that values long-term scholarly investment.
India’s context is different, but there are lessons to be learned. If India wants to retain and attract top research talent, we must move beyond seeing research purely as an academic output metric and start treating it as national infrastructure. This requires action on several fronts.
First, we need more competitive and accessible research funding. Young researchers should not spend disproportionate amounts of time navigating fragmented funding systems. Faster grant cycles, interdisciplinary grants, and early-career funding mechanisms can make a significant difference.
Second, institutions need stronger research support systems. This includes dedicated offices for grant development, IP support, international collaboration facilitation, ethics review, and industry partnerships.
Third, we must invest in world-class research environments beyond a handful of elite institutions. Talent exists across India, not only in metropolitan centres. If infrastructure remains concentrated, mobility pressures will continue.
Fourth, recognition matters. Researchers need to feel that their work is valued, not only through promotions, but through mentorship opportunities, leadership pathways, industry engagement, and public recognition of impact.
And finally, we must make global mobility part of our national strategy, not something to fear. The goal should not be to prevent Indian researchers from going abroad. The goal should be to ensure that when they do, they remain connected to India’s research ecosystem through collaborative networks, visiting faculty opportunities, joint appointments, startup ecosystems, and research partnerships.
India does not have a talent shortage. What we have is a systems challenge and systems can be built.
If we act now, the story of Indian researchers moving abroad will not be one of talent leaving home. It will be the story of Indian talent connecting the world—and bringing that strength back to build the future of Indian innovation.
That is not brain drain. That is brain circulation and India must be ready for it.
(The views expressed are personal)
This article is authored by Sandeep Sancheti, VP, academic relations, Global Strategic Networks, Elsevier.
