Melbourne, Jan 7 There has been a sharp fall in the number of Indians applying for visas to study in Australia, a media report on Thursday said. The development comes following a string of assaults, including two killings, on Indian students.

The immigration department figures for the period from July to October 31 last year show a 46 percent drop in student visa applications from India compared with the same period in 2008.

The number of Indians applying for visas to study in Australia has fallen by almost half, heightening fears for the country's $17 billion international education industry, Sydney Morning Herald reported on Thursday.

The drop in numbers come after Indian students were set upon and viciously assaulted, causing an outcry in India. About 115,000 Indians have studied in Australia in the last 12 months.

The vicious attacks proved fatal for two students. While Nitin Garg was fatally stabbed in Melbourne Saturday, Ranjodh Singh's partially charred body was found in New South Wales on December 29.

Glenn Wither, the chief executive of Universities Australia, said a reduction in Indian students would be likely to have a greater impact on vocational colleges, where a greater proportion of Indians enrolled.

He said part of the problem was that Indians had started studying in Australia in large numbers only recently, so there were few alumni to counter bad press with stories of their own experiences.

The immigration department figures also show overall international student visa applications have dropped by 26 percent.

The media report said that applications from Nepal plummeted 85 percent, from 5,696 to 845, and those from Korea, Brazil and the US each fell by about 20 percent.

Applications from China, however, increased slightly, by 0.2 percent, and those from Vietnam rose 19 percent.

Nearly 100,000 Indian students study in Australia, contributing around $2 billion to the country's economy.