New app to drive more Indian students to study in Japan

With Japan’s Ministry of Education, also known as MEXT, planning to raise enrolment limits at certain universities to “encourage the recruitment of outstanding international students”, India has become a key market for some of the country’s top institutions.

Recently, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba agreed to boost Japanese private investment in India to about $6.8 billion annually over the next decade, up from $2.7bn a year in the 2010s.

In particular, Indian workers and students are seen as a way to help address Nippon’s labor shortages amid its aging population and declining birth rate.

I would love to see more students from South Asia joining us to experience world-class education, an exciting campus life, affordable tuition, and a safe, welcoming society
_{Kaori Hayashi, University of Tokyo India Office}

In light of this, Navi Japan, a one-stop app for Indian students to access information on universities, language labs, accommodation, scholarships, and careers, has officially launched today (September 8), helping Japan attract top Indian student talent – especially in fields like AI.

“Backed by real-time support features such as live chat, video counselling, and local engagement opportunities at schools and university campuses across India, Navi Japan ensures that every student can make confident, informed decisions about studying in Japan and feel personally supported throughout their journey from aspiration to relocation,” stated Adrian Mutton, founder and CEO, Acumen. 

Although there are only about 1,400 Indian international students currently in Japan, the strengthening of Japanese-Indian ties in areas such as economics, security, technology, and people-to-people exchange is expected to drive a sharp rise in that number in the coming years.

According to Acumen, the Navi Japan app, available for free on Android and iOS, has a goal of engaging over 100,000 students from India and South Asia within the next 24 months, while also helping its partner institutions like the University of Tokyo showcase their diverse range of programs.

“Japanese universities offer a diverse range of academic programs, including degree courses taught in English,” stated Dr. Kaori Hayashi, director of University of Tokyo India Office. 

“I would love to see more students from South Asia joining us to experience world-class education, an exciting campus life, affordable tuition, and a safe, welcoming society. We look forward to working with Acumen to achieve our goal.”