Education Minister Jason Clare is joined by 11 vice chancellors and five lobby representatives

The minister is going, in part to sign the rules for mutual recognition under the free trade agreement, governing access to education in both countries. These include Mr Clare says, “the qualifications we provide on-line and off-shore.”

This is a big deal. The number of Indian students in Australia was stable in 2022, on 2021, while the number from China was down 9 per cent and universities are keen to encourage Indians to study here. Some with healthy appetites for risk are also keen to set up there,

But the possibility of exponential growth, home or away, takes some optimism.

Fion Lim (UTS) points out India is much more price sensitive to the cost of education than China (CMM November 13). And Peter Varghese warned in his 2017 report on trade with India,  “the high volume, low cost model needed for India does not stack up economically for most Australian providers, who operate on a low volume, high cost structure,” (CMM July 13 2018).