News Brief
Georgia Emerges As New Hub For Indian Medical Students As Russia-Ukraine War Persists: RBI Data
Representative image of Indian medical students at AIIMS, New Delhi (Bandeep Singh/The India Today Group/Getty Images)
With the Russia-Ukraine war entering its fourth year, Indian students are increasingly turning to Georgia for medical education, the Indian Express reported, citing data from the Reserve Bank of India’s Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS).
According to RBI figures obtained under the RTI Act, Indians spent $50.25 million on education in Georgia in FY2024–25, nearly five times higher than $10.33 million in 2018–19.
The shift has largely come at Ukraine’s expense, with remittances for education there dropping sharply from $14.80 million in 2018–19 to $2.40 million in 2024–25.
Before the war, Ukraine had ranked among the top 10 destinations for Indian students, with remittances peaking at $39.12 million in 2021–22.
Georgia entered the list of the top 15 education destinations for Indian students in 2022–23, ranking 14th, up from 21st in 2018–19, and now stands at 12th place.
Parliamentary data shows that 10,470 Indians went to Georgia in 2023 for higher education, up from 4,148 in 2019.
“Georgia has been popular for its medical courses. It was quite popular even before the war because of its proximity to Europe, and because it was very cost effective. Their laws for residency are simple, and medical graduates can consider living and working there,” CEO of Eduabroad Consulting Pratibha Jain was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
Meanwhile, Russia has also seen a rise in Indian enrolments, with spending on education there touching $69.94 million in 2024–25, a 200 per cent increase from the previous year. Russia’s rank as a destination for Indian students has improved from 23rd in 2018–19 to 11th in 2024–25.
Among major destinations, Canada and the USA saw declines in remittances, while Germany and the UK recorded notable increases.
