The Great India Coaching Train: Impact of Demand for ‘Shadow Higher Education System’ on Internal Youth Migration in India

• In Event: Virtual Poster Session
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Abstract

India’s coaching industry serves 70+ million students, driving youth migration fueled by a high ‘aspiration quotient’ (AQ). This paper examines how urban coaching hubs shape migration and its socio-economic implications, and how COVID-19 and EdTech have disrupted traditional coaching demand. Using a fixed convergent mixed methods design, it combines secondary data (India Today–MDRA, Lokniti–CSDS, CRISIL, government) with a primary survey. A novel PREPSTLE Framework analyzes political, economic, social, and technological dimensions. The study highlights gaps in literature on shadow education, mobility, and AQ, urging policymakers to integrate coaching into education planning and reframe it as vital for socio-political competence and nation-building rather than a market-driven enterprise.

Author

• Tanya Ahuja, Indian Institute of Management