15 UK universities could set up campus in Indian cities in 3 years

British Council's India Education Director says UK colleges looking to offer diverse courses in centres such as Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Bengaluru

Nearly 15 UK-based universities may be looking to set up campuses in India over the next three years, with Delhi-National Capital Region, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad emerging as popular destinations, Rittika Chanda Parruck, director of education in India at the British Council, told Business Standard in a video interview.

 

This comes as several British universities — such as the Universities of Southampton, Liverpool, Coventry, York, and Aberdeen — have either announced plans to set up campuses in India or have received letters of intent from the education ministry.

 

The development follows the University Grants Commission’s (UGC’s) 2023 notification of rules facilitating the entry of foreign higher education institutions into India as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 reforms.

 

Under these regulations, foreign institutions seeking to establish campuses in India must rank within the top 500 globally — either overall or in specific subject areas — and demonstrate outstanding expertise in their fields, subject to UGC approval.

 

Parruck added that while the number may rise in future, making firm predictions remains difficult for several reasons, as such processes take time to develop. “As this process unfolds, many universities are observing the first movers in this space. We believe that there will be greater positive traction as their confidence grows,” she said.

 

On the question of what courses British universities might offer on their Indian campuses, Parruck said that while science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) remain popular, other courses in management and economics would also be available.

 

According to reports, the programmes will include undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) courses in areas such as computing and data science, business management, accounting and finance, and artificial intelligence, among others. 

 

Parruck added that the interested institutions are all public universities, as nearly 90 per cent of higher education in the UK is delivered by public universities. “They are the ones that fall within the top 500 eligible universities. Each of these universities has its context, vision, operating model, and areas of strength,” she said.

 

The British Council, she added, discusses the various opportunities available with institutions expressing interest in setting up in India. “We link them up with state governments to help them understand the local context. The British Council also works very closely with the ministry and UGC,” Parruck said.

 

She also highlighted steps that have acted as triggers for UK universities to enter India, including the adoption of NEP, which identified internationalisation as a key objective for India’s higher education system.

 

“This was quickly followed by the signing of the Agreement on Mutual Recognition of Qualifications between the UK and India, which ensured that UG, PG, and doctoral qualifications would be mutually recognised — paving the way for joint courses and programmes between institutions in both countries,” Parruck said.

 

Commenting on the future of the education partnership between the two countries, Parruck said they hope India becomes the country hosting the largest number of UK universities’ overseas campuses.

 

“In that sense, the British Council has created opportunities through the Going Global Partnerships programme, which promotes collaboration and innovation in teaching, learning, and transnational education between higher education institutions in India and the UK,” she added.