Universities today devote serious effort to attract international students. The purpose of this research is to understand the motivation factors that impact international student choices in selecting Indian higher education as a study-abroad destination. This quantitative study examines the choice criteria of 249 full-time international students from the countries of Asia and Africa. A number of choice factors were identified. Results indicate that international students at Indian universities consider 'university characteristics' and 'influence of social networks' as the most important motivation factors that determine destination choice. The study findings suggest a value proposition canvas consisting of teaching quality, university rankings, safety and availability of academic courses as its foremost constituents. The paper notes decision-making influences and identifies implications for marketing actions of a developing host country operating in a competitive international student market.