Date:30/11/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/11/30/stories/2005113002980300.htm

Back Global Reach sets up centre in Hyderabad

Our Bureau

Hyderabad , Nov. 29

OVERSEAS educational consultant, Global Reach has made its foray in the South by launching a centre in Hyderabad today.

Focussed on providing counselling to students going to Australia, New Zealand and UK, Global Reach has sent over 1,000 students during the past one year from East India and Bangladesh, with 99 per cent success rate, according to Mr Ravi Lochan Singh, its Managing Director.

However, the total number of Indian students who got fresh visas to Australia alone during the last one year was 10,000. About 35 per cent of these are from South India and of this Andhra Pradesh accounts for 50 per cent, he said.

Global Reach plans to set up another branch in Visakhapatnam soon and make the entire business of sending students overseas more professional and ethical, Mr Singh told newspersons.

Giving statistics of Indian students going abroad, Mr Singh said in the last 12 months, 17,000 fresh visas were issued by the US; 16,000 by UK; 10,000 by Australia and 2,500 by Canada. There has been a slight decrease in growth rates of late and experts attribute this to the boom in business process outsourcing, software etc.

The increase in number of students going to Australia, New Zealand in recent times is marked by a preference for applied courses such as computers, accounting, management etc, which is a departure from conventional preference for an M.S. in physical sciences, research and engineering, which draws a big chunk to the US, he said.

Therefore, students looking for greener pastures in education abroad need to look at the demand position in that country for the subjects in terms of potential employment and opportunities for greater success, he suggested. Global Reach has also tied up with Singapore universities to expand options for students, he said.

To mark their launch operations in Hyderabad, Global Reach donated Rs 50,000 to Shine Development Trust, which works for the uplift of destitute children, needy women and the elderly.