With initiatives such as “Study in India” and recognition of qualifications from other countries, India is positioning itself as a growing hub for international education.

India offers huge opportunities in various sectors, education is no different. Internationalization of this sector has been envisaged in the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP), and the Indian government has taken effective steps over the last four years to achieve this goal. Initiatives such as study in India, establishment of campuses by Foreign Higher Education Institutions (FHEIs), collaborations between Indian institutions and FHEIs and mutual recognition of qualifications between governments are already yielding positive results. Allowing FHEIs to establish their campuses in India has been permitted by the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) regulations as well as the University Grants Commission (UGC). These regulations aim to attract leading global universities and institutions to India and provide opportunities for Indian students to obtain global certifications at relatively affordable costs in their home countries.

We have already seen Deakin University operationalize its campus in July this year and the University of Wollongong preparing to launch, both in GIFT City. The University of Southampton (UK), ranked 80th in the QS Global Rankings 2025, has become the first university to receive a Letter of Intent (LoI) from the Government of India to establish its campus in India.

We are also seeing Indian institutions establishing campuses abroad as part of the internationalization initiative. IIT Delhi set up its first international campus in Abu Dhabi and IIT Madras set up its first overseas campus in Zanzibar. The UGC Institutions of Eminence (IoE) guidelines allow IoEs to establish their campuses abroad and BITS Pilani and Manipal Academy have used this window to make their forays outside India. Although other private universities are very interested in opening overseas campuses, enacting an enabling framework through government regulations would further catalyze this interest. In May 2022, the government revamped the collaboration guidelines to enable joint degree, dual degree and twinning programs between Indian institutions and FHEIs. We have already seen a lot of traction in this area, with Manipal Institute of Technology partnering with Deakin, the University of Australia and Shoolini University offering dual degrees with the University of Melbourne being some recent examples.

Studying in India is another initiative towards the internationalization of the Indian education system. This is a flagship program of the Government of India in line with Prime Minister Modi’s vision. The website portal acts as a one-stop-shop system for admission and visa applications for foreign students wishing to pursue higher studies in India, with over 60,000 students already registered through this portal. The relay of internationalization of education is also taken care of through the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ) agreement between India and other countries, which aim to facilitate exchanges of students and professors.

There are more than fifty active memorandums of understanding (including those of France and Germany), some of which are currently being negotiated. MRQs have also been signed with a few countries and some are currently being negotiated. A fabulous start to an era of transformation in the Indian educational landscape! Is there a need to do more? A more targeted approach, probably through a campaign among Indian consulates in foreign countries, could advance the cause of internationalization. The FHEIs are now rethinking their strategy. Perhaps an opportunity for India to exploit: open an FHEI campus in India and offer itself as an alternative education center in the region.

(Author is Partner, Deloitte India, contributions by Guncha Prakash, Deputy Director, Deloitte India; views are personal)