Germany is increasingly popular with Indian students who are drawn by affordable tuition, strong job prospects, and high-quality education. But many have to work alongside their studies, often as delivery drivers.
00:00They are everywhere. Students from India. In Germany alone, there are now almost 60,000 of them.
00:08But most have to work hard to finance their lives. Many are delivery drivers.
00:13It's a tough job because many work at their own risk.
00:16We want to know why so many choose Germany and how many Indian students live here.
00:22Sumit and Rishabh are studying at a private university in Berlin.
00:26Classes are small and the lessons in English. But that costs money.
00:30Sumit's parents paid 14,000 euros for his master's degree in computer science.
00:35Rishabh's parents are also financing his studies.
00:39Germany is the main country in terms of employment, in terms of money.
00:44This is the wealthiest country. That is the main thing. And there are more jobs here.
00:50The International University in Berlin thrives on foreign students.
00:54Almost 2,000 of them, at this private university alone, are from India.
00:58Germany is becoming increasingly popular.
01:01Kashmir in northern India.
01:03Snobur Khan dreams of studying biotechnology in Germany.
01:07She's learning German on YouTube.
01:09The 23-year-old wants to move to Munich next year.
01:12The whole family has saved for it.
01:14I chose Germany because the universities there are known for science and research.
01:26The environment is safe. I like the culture and lifestyle there.
01:30I want to get to know the culture.
01:32I think Germany is better for me because it's more affordable.
01:36It costs less. And the connections between our countries are good.
01:40More and more people are looking to study in Germany, as is evident at the Goethe Institute in Delhi, where courses are fully booked.
01:49Traditionally, Indian students go to the UK, the US, and other English-speaking countries.
01:56Everything was trending in that direction.
01:58But recently, we've noticed that the policies in these countries have become a bit more restrictive.
02:04Visa regulations have become more difficult.
02:08It has become a bit more difficult to work and stay in these countries after your studies.
02:14In Germany, these things are very well-regulated.
02:17Visas are granted more easily and a large number of students receive a visa.
02:23But studying in Germany also has its downsides.
02:26Most students have to work to survive.
02:28A striking number of delivery drivers come from India, and they are often self-employed without any legal protection.
02:35In Germany, many delivery drivers are not permanently employed at all, but work as bogus, self-employed persons.
02:45The other problem is that they are often employed by subcontractors who don't even work for the platform they are delivering for.
02:52That's why the union has called for a demonstration.
02:56Sumit has also joined in, as he has a contract with delivery service Lieferando.
03:00It's one of the few companies in the sector that employs its drivers properly.
03:04But now they also want to make several thousand drivers redundant and send them into self-employment.
03:09Sumit is shocked.
03:11In Berlin, it is very hard to get any job as a student if you don't know German.
03:20Subcontracting is not a good idea, and even if you come from India or any country, and if you are living in Germany, and they are practicing this kind of thing, that is fun.
03:32Back to India, Sonobur spends a lot of time with her sister and mother.
03:37At university in Germany, her everyday life could be very different.
03:41Nevertheless, Sonobur would be prepared to accept the culture shock for a professional career.
03:46Leaving the comfort of home?
03:49Well, there will be language problems.
03:51How am I supposed to manage it all?
03:53I'll be alone.
03:54It's all difficult for me, but I have to accept it.
03:57Little by little, everything will be manageable.
04:01Sumit wants to stay in Berlin.
04:04Like his fellow students, he could imagine living and working in Europe in the long term.
04:08Then he also hopes to find a better job, and will no longer have to work as a delivery driver.
04:14In my opinion, I have to learn German also, and I have to be here for at least five years.
04:24And then I will think, okay, it's really good or not.
04:28Expectations of Germany are high, and some things are more difficult than expected.
04:33But thanks to their tenacity, Sumit and Rishab have both made it this far.
Be the first to comment