UK varsities expand footprint in India

New Delhi: The UK’s “world-leading” higher education sector is set to bring in a “£50 million boost” to the economy as part of a major expansion of British universities in India.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed that the University of Lancaster and the University of Surrey have been given approval to open new campuses in India, to help meet their booming demand for higher education places. Currently, India has 40 million university students, a number expected to rise to 70 million by 2035.

The initiative will allow thousands of Indian students to pursue UK degrees without leaving home, while strengthening educational and economic ties between the two countries. The UK’s international education sector generated over £32 billion in export revenue in 2022, nearly £1 billion of which came from overseas campuses, underscoring its potential as a global growth engine.

With these new institutions, the UK is poised to become the country with the largest higher education footprint in India. Earlier this year, the University of Southampton opened its Delhi campus, and several others — including the University of York, Aberdeen, Bristol, Liverpool, Queen’s University Belfast, and Coventry — are set to follow suit from next year.

The milestone was celebrated in Mumbai during a meeting between Prime Minister Starmer, his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, and a delegation of UK vice-chancellors.

Starmer said: “I’m delighted that more Indian students will be able to benefit from a world-class British education in the near future - strengthening the ties between our two countries while pumping millions back into our economy and supporting jobs at home.”

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “British higher education is world-leading - and this expansion shows its global appeal.”