The Study in India (SII) programme is a flagship initiative launched by the Ministry of Education, Government of India. The Study in India portal (www.studyinindia.gov.in) was officially introduced on April 18, 2018, by the late Smt. Sushma Swaraj, former Minister of Union External Affairs, and Dr. Satya Pal Singh, former Minister of State for HRD, at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi which was later upgraded and a new version of the portal was jointly launched by Ministry of Education, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs on 3rd August 2023 in the presence of Hon’ble Minister for External Affairs, and Hon’ble Shikha Mantri in the Parliament Annex House. The new portal integrates dynamic features including student registration, generation of Unique Student ID, online application submission, visa processing and FRRO application process.
SII portal is a one-stop platform for international students, facilitating application submission, admission processes, and visa applications for those seeking to pursue regular, short-term, or long-term courses in Indian academic institutions or Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs). Hence, serving as a gateway to India's higher education ecosystem. All foreign students who wish to study in India, will now have to mandatorily register on the SII portal and submit the required information on the portal. Upon registration, the portal generates a unique ID or ‘SII-ID’ which will be quoted on the student visa application. You may also be aware that the Ministry of Home Affairs has recently launched the e-Student Visa, enabling application of student visa using their SII-ID via the Indian Visa Portal. Hence, for operationalization of e-Student Visa it is important that all incoming foreign students mandatorily register themselves on SII Portal.
The program aims to position India as a leading educational destination for international students, inviting them to pursue higher education in the country. With its array of compelling features, the program offers international students the opportunity to experience the best of Indian education. It encourages students from around the world to explore valuable educational prospects offered by top universities in India.
With a partnership of more than 600+ colleges providing a mixed bag of 8000+ courses, the Study in India programme has prospered year by year. The programme had a humble beginning but as time passed it reached more than 136 countries. Thousands of students have been onboarded to the programme and numbers are growing consistently. Building connections and collaboration is the key to expansion. This is why the programme has to date conducted many successful educational fairs in various target countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Dubai, USA, Indonesia, Kenya, Bhutan, etc. The educational fairs are aimed at interacting with students and different stakeholders on the ground level. It helps the students gain better insight about studying in India and simplify their educational journey ahead. As a fruitful result, since its inception, the programme has hosted students in pursuit of higher education through 600+ institutes around the country.
From modern and cutting-edge disciplines like Computer applications, Engineering, Law, Management, Humanities, STEM, to niche courses like Buddhist Studies, Yoga, Classical Music, students get access to diverse courses from the top institutes of India. The transparent and tech-driven online system is formulated to simplify the entire process, right from registration to immigration. With exponential growth in sectors like Pharmaceutical, Information Technology (IT), and Space, India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. The education landscape of India is as diverse and dynamic as its geography and culture. As institutes affiliated with the programme are situated in prime locations across the country, students get a chance to immerse themselves in vibrant celebrations, cuisines and the thrills of travel. With many new avenues opening up, the programme is committed to nurturing and shaping the future workforce.
In a nutshell, the Study in India programme has been launched to enable an inclusive environment for the all-around academic and personal development of international students, allowing them to gain a holistic learning experience. Further, India, being the melting pot of distinct cultures, a hotspot for innovation and technology makes it an ideal study destination for students present around the globe.
