Thousands of Nepali students enroll in Indian educational institutions every year as they provide quality education at low cost. Kolkata's Oaktree International School, too, is eyeing markets across the border. "We expect students from Nepal as thousands of students come to India for studies every year," says executive director Aditya Kumar.

During a symposium on International Education in March, Kolkata-based Educo Ventures announced the launch of the school, the first of its kind in East Bengal.

The co-educational school will take only 650 students for the Middle Years Programme (grades VI to X) with a maximum of 15 students per class. Kumar says the school has completed the paperwork for the Baccalaureate Diploma (Grades XI and XII).

The school opens its doors in August 2011, for which admissions start from August 2010. All-inclusive monthly fees range from IRs 30,000 to 60,000, depending on boarding facilities, which is much cheaper than IB schools abroad. The focus is on learner-centric, holistic education that develops skills and creativity, and which serves as a base to enter a good university abroad.