Indian students heading back to foreign universities, shows data

With the pandemic subsiding from its peak, Indian parents have started sending their wards for studies abroad. Indians spent most for studies abroad in December 2020, while the ‘maintenance of close relatives’, which is money sent for upkeep of kids abroad, saw a rise.

Money spent on studies abroad had nosedived in April 2020, when countries were closed borders and students were flown back to India through special flights. A large chunk of those students may have gone back in August and September, when the students collectively spent more than $830 million on studies.
 
Those expenses were only a little lower than what they spent in August-September 2019 —$998 million. Or, it could be because of academic fee falling due around September.
 
Generally, during December and January, Indians spend heavily on travels. That expense halved in the 2021 tourist season. Travelling nosedived between April and July 2020 because of curbs put by governments and rising infection levels. But, it has slowly picked up pace in December. Interestingly, Indians seemed to be gifting a lot. Such gifts were just $55.15 million in April, but in December, gifts accounted for $145.15 million, according to the data from the Reserve Bank of India.