A study released by students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, has bust the myth of brain drain. Over 84 per cent of IIT-B alumni, who graduated after the year 2000, have stayed back in the country, signalling a change in the trend of many of its graduates opting to go abroad, according to the study. Watch What Else Is Making News Migration of Indian engineers and scientists has been a concern for the country over the past few decades, with many going abroad to pursue higher education, research or employment opportunities. However, an analysis of data from over 20,000 alumni was released on Tuesday which shows a dip in the trend. More than 40 per cent of IIT-B alumni, who graduated before 2000, left the country but since 2000 the percentage has dropped to 15.8. “Here at IIT-B, the placements are good and most jobs offered are within India. So, most alumni have stayed back,” said a student on the condition of anonymity. Mumbai was the favourite destination — 40.4 per cent of the more than 20,000 alumni surveyed chose to reside in the financial capital of the country. Pune was a close second at 12.5 per cent followed by Bengaluru at 13 per cent. The capital is home to around seven per cent of the alumni who graduated after 2000. The popularity of US, however, has seen a drop in the past decade. “In recent times, alumni seem to prefer US less and less. Most of the slack has been picked up by India. This can be attributed to the rising opportunities in India, research and industry wise,” read the article published in the institute’s student magazine Insight. The year 1996 was a game changer, with India leveraging on the decline in outflow to US. While the percentage of IIT-B alumni in the US started deteriorating from around 46 percent in 1996 to around five per cent in 2015, it simultaneously improved for India. The United States remained the most popular destination for those who moved abroad. “Four of every five alumni living abroad live in the United States,” read the report. Meanwhile, Europe and East and South-East Asia have emerged as the second and third most preferred destinations.
