To encourage the internationalisation of the Indian Education System through collaboration between Indian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and foreign universities, the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India has initiated an act to invite international universities to set up campuses in India. The primary rationale behind this is the growing interest of Indians planning to study abroad but being unable to due to several limitations. This association brings opportunities unlike any in the past by granting students access to world class universities and educational institutions feasibly. So if you are thinking of setting up shop in India, what do you need to be aware of?

UGC’s approval is the first step towards establishing an Indian campus and the eligibility for said approval depends on two factors – the ranking of the institution and its national reputation. Any institution that wishes to open an Indian campus needs to be in the top 500 best ranked universities according to the UGC. This ranking has to either be an overall rank or the institution has to be in the top 500 schools subject-wise. The reputation of the institution in its home country is of great significance to UGC as well. Based on these factors, a Foreign Higher Education Institution (FHEI) can apply for approval. 

The approval process is dependent on the quality of education as well as the degrees awarded. The standard of education of the FHEI will be judged based on the faculty, deliverance and content of academic discourse. The main requirement is that it should be comparable to the quality expected at the home campus of the institution and no sub-par at the Indian campus. The degree courses offered at the institutions should also have the same worth as they would have on the home campus. To accomplish this, UGC has allowed the FHEIs to hire faculty members from India and abroad but in the end, it remains the sole responsibility of the FHEI to ensure that the quality of education remains unimpacted. 

So what are the benefits of establishing an international campus in India? Along with China, India is one of the main international student providers to the universities across the world and every year there is a substantial rise in the Indian choosing to study abroad. In the year 2022, 68% more students chose to study abroad compared to the previous year, a six-year high of 750,365 according to the education ministry.  Keeping this in mind, it is important to understand that even if most people in India aspire to study abroad at the undergraduate or postgraduate level, they are unable to due to several reasons, most prominently due to financial constraints. If an Indian student were presented with an opportunity to study at a top ranked international institution at its Indian campus where they would not be limited by high tuition fees, geographical location, visas and reap the benefits of high standards of education, they are more likely to prefer this in comparison to going abroad. This doesn’t mean that only Indians keen on this will have access to it as the UGC plans to open up the campuses to domestic and international students. This allows students from other countries which might share similar constraints to some Indian students to find the FHEIs more accessible. Scholarships and other funding opportunities that are available at these FHEIs will be made available on Indian campuses as well in a comparable well.