With assistance from the Office of International Business Development, Mumbai will become the first city in India to have an educational facility dedicated to helping students and families learn about studying overseas in the United States.

Pennsylvania ranks sixth in the nation for the number of international students enrolled at higher education institutions – with Indian students accounting for more than 17 percent of the international student enrollment.

The Narsee Monjee Educational Trust – Jamnabai Narsee School has established the first ever education center in Mumbai, thePennsylvania-American Center for Education, to help Indian students gain access to information about American colleges and universities. 

Many Indian families explore international educational opportunities for their children in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. The primary obstacles that families encounter are a lack of accessible information on the universities/colleges and an understanding of international application/admissions processes, said a press release. 

As a result, many families hire education agents who charge exorbitant rates, as high as $10,000 per student, to provide information on schools in other countries.

Philadelphia's honorary ambassador to India, Kanika Choudhary, was instrumental in the development of the new center. Working with Philadelphia officials, the Indian American spent the past two years promoting educational opportunities, identifying potential economic partnerships, and encouraging Indians to visit Philadelphia and Pennsylvania for business, leisure and educational pursuits.