The small-town pivot: Tier 2 and 3 cities now drive India’s study-abroad boom

India’s global education story is changing. For the first time, students from Tier 2 and 3 cities now make up over 57% of those studying abroad, up from 47% last year, according to UpGrad’s Transnational Education Report 2024–25. First-generation learners from State Boards are leading the charge, harnessing digital tools and sheer determination, rewriting a narrative once dominated by metro elites, while raising urgent questions about opportunities at home.