Why Indian Students in the UK Deserve Better Career Support

Graduating from a top UK university should feel like opening doors and not hitting walls. For the approximately 166,000 Indian students currently pursuing education in Britain, the largest international student group in the country, the reality after graduating with their hard-earned degrees has become increasingly frustrating. 

Despite investing thousands of pounds in their education, many Indian students and their families find themselves sending out job applications that seem to disappear into a void of rejection, silence, and uncertainty.

However, we have good news. 

Earlier this week, something significant began to transpire for Indian graduates in the UK on the hunt for jobs. The Indian National Students Association (INSA) UK joined hands with AI-powered platform Creoo to launch the Indian National Students Employability Council (INSEC) at the India-UK Student Leadership Summit in London. Held in the Houses of Parliament complex, the summit brought attention to a problem that's been quietly growing: Indian graduates in the UK aren't getting fair shots at employment, regardless of their qualifications. And which many Indian graduates say is a result of what they call an ‘underlying bias’ held by British employers. 

The past and hopes of a better future

Over the past 18 months, more than 36 panels have taken it upon themselves to actively bat for and discuss challenges faced by international students in the UK and beyond. Yet, Indian students report seeing almost no real improvement in their job prospects. 

But representatives like Ayesha Goyal, founder and CEO of Creoo, are now stepping in to offer this negotiation a better chance at fighting. Goyal has made it clear that INSEC (Indian National Students Employability Council) is not merely another talking shop. He says that it is a commitment that starts immediately, with concrete actions planned for the welfare of talented Indian graduates in the UK.

The Post-Study Work Visa Problem

Indian students arrive in the UK with high hopes, backed by the graduate route visa that allows them to work for up to 18 months after finishing their studies. On paper, it sounds promising. But in practice, something else is happening. Students report that companies either reject them outright or simply never respond to their applications at all.

"What is the point of doing studies here when I do not even get a response to my application from the employer?" asked Amit Tiwari, INSA UK National President. It's a question that is representative of the experiences of hundreds of thousands of Indian graduates who moved to the UK in hopes of better career prospects.

What INSEC Plans to Do

INSEC has committed to specific actions rather than vague promises. Here is what they are doing:

• The coalition is launching a National Career Roadshow across leading universities to provide direct support to students. 

• The organization is also conducting what is the very first UK-wide study on Indian student outcomes. The findings of this study are set to be released early next year. This research should finally provide hard data on what's actually happening to Indian graduates in the job market.

• A National Advisory Board will also allow and offer Indian students the opportunity of direct representation in policy decisions that affect their futures. 

• INSA UK is also in discussions with the High Commission of India and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to lobby for employer education programs. The goal is straightforward: getting UK companies to treat Indian students as equals when considering candidates.

The Bigger Picture

2025 has been an important year for India's relation with the United Kingdom. A substantial focus of India's longstanding ties with the country is education, employment, and trade. With the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) finalized during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit in July earlier this year, the international education space awaits brand new opportunities for Indian students in the upcoming year. Labour MP Navendu Mishra opened the summit by pointing out that after 10 years of dialogue, the two countries have finally reached this trade deal.

For Indian students who've left their country for the first time, invested heavily in their education, and followed all the rules, the current situation is a waste of talent that both countries need. INSEC has taken on the task of breaking this pattern and allowing for better employment opportunities to knock through the doors of talented Indian graduates in Britain.

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