Seeking to tap overseas market for Indian education as well as check brain drain, the government proposes to set up Indian Institute of Technology centres in Singapore, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and West Asian and South East Asian countries.

The setting up of IIT campuses abroad have found favour with several expert committees, which felt that only institutions with good brand equity can help promote Indian education abroad.

The issue was considered at length at a recent meeting of the Council of IITs in New Delhi where Union Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi suggested early submission of the report of the review committee looking into this aspect, an official release said on Monday night.

Joshi pointed out that most of these countries where Indian education is in demand have low level of science and technology activities and IITs would serve as a stepping stone to give a fillip to their scientific progress.

He said Singapore, a well-developed country, had recently sent a proposal to facilitate the establishment of IITs for post-graduate education and research with industry linkages in that country.

Such collaboration, Joshi pointed out, would be mutually beneficial as while IITs can leverage Singapore into a world class industrial and R&D hub, it will allow the IITs greater involvement in post-graduate education of its own graduates who might otherwise take up higher studies in the US or other countries.

There are several prestigious technical institutions in Singapore and IIT could benefit by working with them.

The meeting felt that IITs presence would also help in developing linkages with entire South East Asia and China as well as support in promoting India's economic and commercial interest in the Asia-Pacific region.