Learning Beyond the Classroom

Lal’s ASU experience extended well beyond coursework. Collaborating with Brent Sebold, Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, he helped develop a search engine that enables students and startups to navigate ASU’s extensive entrepreneurship resources.

He also credits classes with ASU President Michael Crow and physics Professor Pavan Pillalamarri for shaping his leadership outlook. “Those classes taught me to think 10 steps ahead and see how different pieces of information connect,” Lal noted, a mindset he now applies to building scalable businesses in India’s complex market.

Diaspora Leadership in Campus Life

Like many international students, Lal arrived in the United States with high aspirations. Initially hoping to attend an Ivy League institution, he later found a different kind of intellectual and cultural fulfilment at ASU’s Polytechnic campus.

There, he emerged as a diaspora leader on campus, launching the India Policy and Economy Research Club, working at the International Students and Scholars Center, and serving as a residential peer mentor. In these roles, he helped fellow international students navigate academic life, cultural transitions and the emotional distance from home that often accompanies overseas education.

Such engagement, he believes, is essential to the success of international students, particularly those from India, who must adapt quickly to new academic systems and social norms while retaining confidence in their own cultural identity.

The Diaspora Support Ecosystem

ASU’s strong international student framework played a key role in Lal’s journey. The university hosts more than 20,000 international students and ranks among the top U.S. institutions for international enrollment.

The International Students and Scholars Center assists students with immigration processes, but its role extends far beyond paperwork. Workshops, cultural events, coffee hours and community celebrations help international students find belonging far from home, an aspect Lal views as critical to long-term success.

For Indian students in particular, such ecosystems serve as bridges, helping them translate academic achievement into leadership confidence.

From Brain Drain to Brain Circulation

Armed with his degree and experience, Lal now sees himself as part of a broader shift within the Indian diaspora, away from one-way migration and toward what many describe as “brain circulation”.

“If we really want humanity to progress, we need high-quality education for every deserving student,” Lal has said, arguing that global exposure must ultimately benefit societies beyond borders.

His decision to return to India underscores a growing belief among young diaspora professionals that India is no longer just a market or a memory, but a platform for innovation, scale and long-term impact.

Looking Ahead

As Mudit Lal transitions from student to entrepreneur, his journey encapsulates the evolving story of the Indian diaspora, educated abroad, empowered globally, and committed to building at home.

In an era when India’s innovation ambitions are rising rapidly, such returnees bring with them not only skills and capital, but confidence, networks and a global mindset. For Lal, commencement was not a farewell to India, but the final preparation before coming back to shape its future.