‘It’s a Shame’: Zoho’s Sridhar Vembu Slams ₹1 Crore MBBS Fees in India, Cites Vietnam’s ₹4 Lakh Option

Zoho’s Sridhar Vembu questions why Indian MBBS fees touch ₹1 crore, while Vietnam offers medical education at ₹4L/year. NEET, seats, cost gap explained.

Thousands of Indian students prepare for years to crack NEET UG, the gateway to medical education in India. But for many aspirants from middle-class families, even a good NEET score isn’t enough if they don’t secure a government seat. The reason? Soaring fees in private medical colleges, often ranging from ₹60 lakh to over ₹1 crore for an MBBS degree.

Now, Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has publicly questioned this growing affordability crisis in Indian medical education. In a post that is resonating widely with students and parents alike, Vembu pointed to a stark comparison that has gone viral—Vietnam offers MBBS degrees to Indian students at just ₹4 lakh per year.

“I recently came across Indian students going to Vietnam to study medicine. The colleges there charge them ₹4 lakh a year. I am told the quality of education is good,” he wrote, adding: “It is a shame that Indian students have to go abroad to get an affordable medical education,” Vembu writes.

MBBS in Vietnam vs India: The Cost Gap

Vietnam, which has a similar per capita income to India, appears to align its foreign student fees with its economic reality—charging ₹4–5 lakh per year for a full-time MBBS degree. In comparison, private Indian colleges charge anywhere between ₹10–25 lakh per year, pushing the total cost over ₹1 crore in some cases.

“Vietnam charges ₹4 lakh a year for MBBS, roughly in line with their per capita GDP. Why are we charging ₹1 crore? Shouldn’t our education system reflect economic realities and enable access for all?” — Sridhar Vembu.

For Indian families, the cost of pursuing MBBS in a private institution can be back-breaking. Education loans may help, but not all students qualify, and repayment burdens often discourage middle-income families.

The NEET UG Bottleneck and the Struggle for Government MBBS Seats

Every year, more than 22 lakh students appear for the NEET UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) — the only entrance exam for admission to undergraduate medical courses in India.

Yet, the number of MBBS seats remains limited:

Total MBBS seats in India (2024–25): Around 1,08,940

Government medical colleges: Over 700, offering about 56,000 seats

Private colleges and deemed universities: Offer the remaining 52,000+ seats, many with fees well beyond the reach of average students

This huge gap between demand and available government seats forces lakhs of students each year to either repeat NEET or consider studying abroad in countries like Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh—and now increasingly, Vietnam.

Why Students Are Choosing Countries Like Vietnam

Apart from the cost advantage, countries like Vietnam are being seen as emerging alternatives to traditional MBBS destinations like Ukraine (before the war), Russia, and China. Indian students often find the following benefits:

Lower tuition fees (₹20–30 lakh total for the course)

Lower cost of living

English-medium instruction

WHO/NCME/FAIMER-recognised medical universities

Simpler admission process (often just Class 12 PCB score and NEET qualification)

However, students studying abroad must pass the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) in India to practise as doctors, followed by a 12-month compulsory internship at a recognised hospital.

Vembu’s Call to Action: Rethink the Economics of Indian Medical Education

Sridhar Vembu is known for his advocacy of inclusive, rural-based and affordable education models. His latest comments hit a nerve because they raise questions that millions have been silently asking: Why are professional courses like MBBS priced out of reach for average Indians? Why must students fly overseas to become doctors when India needs more medical professionals than ever?

According to NITI Aayog and WHO guidelines, India still faces a shortage of doctors, especially in rural areas. While increasing the number of medical colleges is a step forward, the skewed cost structure means that access is still dictated by affordability.

“The real tragedy is not just the cost—but how we’re forcing talent to go abroad when they could be serving right here. We need to rebuild our education model from the ground up,” Vembu has said in past conversations around affordability.

Conclusion: Time to Align Education with Access

Sridhar Vembu’s post has reignited a crucial national conversation—on how India must ensure affordable, equitable, and high-quality medical education for its youth. With demand for doctors increasing and lakhs of students unable to afford ₹1 crore MBBS programs, the system is at risk of becoming exclusionary.

As Vietnam and other countries offer low-cost medical seats to Indian students, the ball is now in the court of policymakers, regulators, and institutions to bring Indian medical education back within the reach of its own citizens.