Top undergraduates of IITB leave India to do their graduate work, while the best graduates from elsewhere generally do not choose IITB for further study and research. A lack of top graduate students and post doctoral researchers hampers research, faculty recruitment and IITB*s bid for world-class recognition.

Lack of financial assistance, no support to travel to technical forums, deficiencies in research facilities, and shortages in state-of-the-art equipment all adversely affect graduate student recruitment. A new “dual-degree” program intended to allow an undergraduate at IITB to progress directly from entry to completion of a masters degree is also being affected for lack of scholarship funds during the research phase. In addition, general funds for financial assistance to students are minimal compared to world-class institutions.

At top universities elsewhere, most undergraduate students have an opportunity to compete for considerable amounts of aid and virtually all graduate students receive some form of full or partial assistance.