Dubai-based CEO asks students to choose colleges with fewer Indians, sparks debate

NEW DELHI: A Dubai-based CEO ignited a debate online with her post suggesting that students should apply to International universities that have less number of Indian students.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Shreya Pattar, founder of Shreya Pattar Ventures said, “Any Indian student planning to move abroad for higher education should check how many Indian students that university has. The more the number of Indian students, the lower that university should be on your list of places to join. A big Indian community of students doesn’t come with a “homely” feeling.”

Pattar further emphasized, “If you plan to move out of the country, make sure you are also staying away from that mindset, attitude, and nature of people. You shouldn’t need such people around you to ‘feel at home’. And if you DO, then might as well just not move abroad.”

The post has garnered over eight lakh views online, eliciting both agreement and criticism. Some users supported her perspective, stressing the importance of broadening horizons and avoiding comfort zones within familiar communities, while others countered that personal success abroad hinges on individual efforts rather than the ethnicity or background of fellow students.

One user said, “I respectfully disagree. Having a community of Indian students can provide a sense of familiarity and support, especially in a new country. It’s about finding the right balance between comfort and exposure to diverse perspectives.” Another user said, “Every nation must have its own toxic patterns. You have studied abroad; what are some toxic patterns that you noticed in other nations’ students?”

While the other one said, “I can not agree more with you. In 2011 I went to Australia to work in a hospital and there the most toxic people and most envious towards Indians were Indians only. It was a shock for me once I reach there and till the time I left Australia I could not come to terms with it.”