Reviewing the Difficulties International Students Encounter in Their Social and Academic Lives in India

In recent decades, the number of foreign students enrolled in Indian colleges has increased significantly. The All-India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) (2021–2022) reports that there were around 47,000 international students enrolled in Indian colleges overall in 2021–2022, a 2% decrease from the year before. Of the 170 nations that sent students, Nepal sent the most (29%), followed by Afghanistan (8%), the United States (7%), Bangladesh (5%), the United Arab Emirates (4%), and Bhutan (2%). Approximately 75% of international students are enrolled in undergraduate programs, with business administration, science, engineering, and technology being the most popular disciplines for this demographic. Given the number of international students studying in the India, 15.5% of them are Africans, with the majority hailing from Nigeria, Tanzania Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Sudan. This study aims to investigate how overseas students, particularly African students, perceive the republic of India, which is sometimes referred to as the country of opportunity abroad. Many people think that local Indian company owners who wish to widen their horizons in the world, especially in Africa, can do so through African international students. Using auto-ethnographic research, this study examined the various academic and social difficulties encountered by international students in Indian universities in order to identify potential solutions. In order to identify and classify some of the difficulties faced by international students, this qualitative research approach employed the author’s sequential auto ethnographic experience as a research tool. The researcher hopes that the research’s conclusions will serve as a manual for future generations of foreign students hoping to study in India.