IIFT to open its first overseas campus in Dubai, receives govt approval

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, which comes under the Ministry of Commerce, has received final approval to open its first campus abroad, however, final permissions from the UAE are pending

The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), under the commerce ministry, is set to establish its first international campus in Dubai, following approvals from multiple ministries and the University Grants Commission.

 

Announcing the move on Friday, IIFT said it has received clearances from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the UGC. The Dubai campus, pending final permissions from the UAE, aims to cater to the Indian diaspora and international students while enhancing India’s academic presence in the Gulf region.

 

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the development “truly reflects the spirit of the National Education Policy 2020, marking a new chapter in the internationalisation of Indian education and its growing role in shaping thought leadership globally”.

 

 

No diversion of finance to Dubai

The Ministry of Education clarified, “There shall be no diversion of faculty, academic infrastructure, or financial resources from IIFT’s New Delhi campus to the Dubai centre,” ensuring the domestic institution remains unaffected.

 

Established in 1963, IIFT provides professional education focused on international business. It currently offers a range of long-term programmes, including an MBA (International Business) and a PhD in management at its Delhi and Kolkata campuses.

 

IIFT New Delhi goes global!  With the NoC from @MEAIndia, @HMOIndia & @ugc_india, @EduMinOfIndia approves @iift_official’s Off-shore Campus in Dubai, UAE.  A proud milestone in the internationalisation of Indian education echoing the vision of NEP 2020 and showcasing India's… pic.twitter.com/DLSkj5y4J0

— Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) May 15, 2025

 

IIT opens foreign campus

IIFT’s expansion follows the 2023 opening of IIT Madras’ first offshore campus in Zanzibar, Tanzania—India’s first international IIT campus. That initiative offered Data Science and AI programmes to students from Zanzibar, Tanzania, Nepal, and India. More such campuses are in the pipeline across the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the UK.

 

Indian private universities with campuses abroad

Indian private institutions have also gone global. The SP Jain School of Global Management runs campuses in Dubai, Singapore, and Sydney, while Vellore Institute of Technology launched its Dubai campus in 2017, offering engineering, business, and tech programmes.