“What I feel is that during my father’s time, it was very lucrative to study in the US. They could get a visa quite easily. But things seem to have gone haywire,” the 19-year-old said.

He now plans to apply to one of India’s top management institutes for a master’s in business administration, and will consider a US programme only if that does not work out.

The abrupt cancellation of several foreign student visas, as well as a confrontation between President Donald Trump’s administration and prominent American research universities that have raised issues about funding, have sparked concern among Indian students.

Indian students accounted for the largest share of international enrolments at US universities for the 2024–25 school year, making up 29.4 per cent. India also retained its position as the top source of international graduate students in the US for the second consecutive year.

But many students now say that they prefer to pursue their ambitions at home and, even if they go abroad, will return after a short stint.