What does a new British Prime Minister imply for Indian students planning to study in the UK?

It isn’t just London. From Aberdeen in the north of Scotland to Durham, Leeds, Sheffield and Cardiff in Wales, Indian students thrive in their studies

The voting has ended and the electorate has made their decision. In a year in which several of the world's leading democracies conduct elections, Sir Keir Starmer becomes Britain's 57th Prime Minister, succeeding Rishi Sunak, the country's first Prime Minister of Indian origin.

Indian students and alumni in British colleges took delight in the historic picture when Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Narayana Murty placed Diwali lamps on the steps of 10 Downing Street, irrespective of their political beliefs. The arrival of the new prime minister had given much-needed calm after a period of economic turmoil. It also served as a reminder to Indian students studying in the UK, who currently make up the biggest group of foreign students in the nation, that talented individuals from various backgrounds were eligible for the top positions in the nation, not just in politics but also in the fields of business, law, medicine, and the arts.

So what does a new government and Prime Minister mean for Indian students and alumni considering travel to Britain?

Although the party of government has changed, the good news is that Britain’s identity as one of the most diverse countries in the world has not. London is still considered the top city in the world to be a student, largely because of its reputation for the combination of high quality universities, welcome to global talent and opportunities for employment.

And it isn’t just London. From Aberdeen in the north of Scotland to Durham, Leeds, Sheffield and Cardiff in Wales, Indian students thrive in their studies and go on to work in engineering and computing, as doctors and dentists, as architects and lawyers, often taking their first steps in their careers in their second home country courtesy of graduate visas available for two years to all who successfully complete their degrees.

This vital combination of university level study and post-study work will continue under Labour. Although levels of immigration remain a concern in many countries, the new government has made clear it sees the country’s great universities and their international communities as central to its ambitions to rejuvenate economic growth. The party has long supported welcoming policies for international students as a welcome asset to the UK, and its new incoming Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has previously hailed the 'major contribution' made by international students. Indian students currently making the decision to study in the UK can do so with confidence in both welcome and opportunity.

The path of students from India to Britain is well-trodden. Gandhi, Nehru, Ambedkar, Sorabji, Tagore, Patel, Naidu… all form part of an unparalleled legacy between India and the UK. The author of India’s own Constitution studied at a London university. Its first Prime Ministers and Nobel laureates formed part of the same tradition. Indian graduates of British universities go on to succeed in Indus itself and right around the world.

Today a new generation forms what the UK National Indian Students and Alumni Association proudly refers to as a ‘Living Bridge’. In my role as Chief Executive of an organisation committed to expanding participation in global education, I meet with many of these talented students. Others who made the journey before them have been my esteemed colleagues in business and the National Health Service. So I know they come to love their universities and adopted cities. Again and again I have seen them pursue their ambitions and succeed wonderfully in doing so.

Whether arriving to study pathway programmes in international colleges linked to British universities as they prepare for admission, or directly entering undergraduate or postgraduate study, Indian students are welcome in the UK and their opportunity to follow their studies with a period of employment in the country is secured.

This week, Indian students will graduate and pursue new employment prospects. It may be a new political chapter for the United Kingdom, but the door to opportunity remains open for Indian students.

By: Ian Crichton, CEO of Study Group