What's driving UK universities to set up campuses in India in a changing global education order?

In recent years, the higher education landscape has undergone a quiet but powerful shift. Top UK universities including the University of Birmingham and the University of Southampton—are not just collaborating with Indian institutions; they’re physically entering the Indian market by setting up campuses. This marks a major moment in the globalisation of higher education—and India is at the heart of it.

What’s behind this trend? A combination of regulatory change, demographic opportunity, strategic positioning, and mutual benefit. As the global education order evolves, India is no longer just a source of outbound students, it’s becoming a destination for transnational education.
India’s regulatory green light: The policy shift that made it possibleAt the core of this transformation is a major regulatory overhaul in India’s higher education policy:

• In 2022–23, the University Grants Commission (UGC) introduced the International Branch Campus (IBC) regulations, allowing top foreign universities to establish independent campuses in India and offer their own degrees.
• The Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ) framework further eased academic mobility and credit transfer.
• These changes are aligned with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which explicitly encourages internationalisation of Indian higher education.

For UK universities, these reforms created a rare opportunity: a large, English-speaking, education-driven country inviting global institutions to physically enter its system.
India’s demographic and strategic appealIndia’s appeal goes far beyond policy. It is the world’s largest youth population with over 260 million students in schools and universities. Each year, thousands of Indian students travel abroad to pursue degrees in the UK, the US, Australia, and Canada. But not all can afford that option—financial, cultural, and familial barriers often prevent students from studying overseas, especially at the undergraduate level.

By setting up campuses in India, UK universities can:

• Widen access to British education for students who cannot relocate
• Offer more affordable programs while maintaining academic quality
• Tap into a large, growing market for international qualifications
• Reduce dependency on outbound mobility amid global uncertainties (e.g. visa slowdowns, geopolitical changes)

This shift reflects a larger trend: the rebalancing of global education geography from the West to emerging economies.
Not newcomers: UK-India academic ties run deepThis isn’t the beginning of UK universities’ engagement with India—it’s a deepening of long-standing relationships.

• The UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) has facilitated collaborative research and teaching partnerships for over 15 years.
• The British Council has funded over 100 joint initiatives, distributing approximately £3 million in grants to support UK-India university partnerships.
• Many UK institutions already offer dual or joint degrees with Indian counterparts. For example, the University of Birmingham’s dual-degree program with IIT Madras is a prominent model of integrated education.

What’s new is the move from collaboration to physical presence—a stronger, more embedded form of transnational education.
Local access to global degreesFor Indian students, the impact is potentially transformative. British university campuses in India mean:

• No need to travel abroad to earn a UK degree
• Lower tuition and living costs
• Access to global curricula and international faculty
• Opportunities for student exchange or short-term UK visits as part of hybrid models

For many families, especially those hesitant to send children abroad for undergraduate studies, this model offers the best of both worlds: international exposure within the Indian context.
A growing trend, not a one-offExperts suggest that many more UK universities are in talks to set up campuses in India, with announcements expected over the next few years. This move is not just an expansion strategy—it’s a recognition that India is central to the future of global higher education.

As India positions itself as a hub for academic excellence and international collaboration, more foreign institutions, especially from the UK, Australia, and even Europe, may follow suit.
The bottom lineThe establishment of UK university campuses in India reflects a broader realignment in global education. Enabled by policy, driven by demographics, and guided by decades of partnership, this trend offers a new blueprint for cross-border learning—one that brings global education home.

In this shifting global order, India is no longer just sending its students abroad—it’s inviting the world’s top universities to come and stay.

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