More incentive for foreign universities to set up in India than ever

With the introduction of the New Education Policy 2020, the Government of  India seeks to reform and transform the education sector in India. “Over the last couple of years, since the announcement of the NEP 2020, Indian Embassies in key countries have been interacting with foreign universities about the possibility of opening campuses in India. A lot will depend on the draft regulation and incentives we offer to institutions to open in India”, said Vineet Gupta Ashoka University Founder.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) is in the process of finalising a draft document which will include all the rules and regulations for foreign universities looking to set up a base in India. Some of  the incentives that are being used to attract top  tier institutions and ensure their viability in India include:

1. Foreign institutions will be given substantial freedom in terms of setting their own curriculum and faculty appointments.

2. Academics and other day to day activities of these foreign institutions will not be interfered with. There will however be a set of rules and regulations that they will be expected to comply with.

3. Universities may have freedom to set their own fee which will be important for foreign universities. Having said that, “Foreign universities will have to be mindful of the Indian students paying capacity while determining the fee. I would believe that fee structures will be affordable keeping in mind the students in India. Fee should certainly not be what these universities charge in their home country. This should enable our youth to get access to high quality education without the hassle of relocating to a foreign country”, adds Vineet Gupta of Ashoka University

Why entry of foreign universities and institutions will be beneficial to the entire sector?

The entry of foreign institutions will bring much needed quality and competition in the Indian education sector. Students will now have more options than they ever had when making decisions about their education. There will be more collaborations between Indian and top tier institutions. “Recently, we have seen IIT Delhi announce a special PHD programme in partnership with a top Australian University, which requires students from Australia to do their final year in India. Vice versa, Indian students will need to finish their final year in Australia under the said programme”, adds Vineet Gupta. Dual Degree programmes which have been designed between Indian and foreign partners have been approved, whilst the creation of an additional 25 percent seats for foreign students in top tier Indian Institutions is one of the moves being proposed.

“The NEP 2020 has accelerated a lot of reforms and with regulation incoming for foreign universities, we are truly at the “liberalization” moment for India’s higher education eco-system. The entry of foreign institutions will enhance capacity of the sector and also bring in some best practices. It will create more jobs for faculty and create competition for domestic institutions and they will need to up their game. Competition always creates excellence and the consumer benefits in the end. Look at Telecom or IT as examples where Indian products and services are world class. I am sure that with time this competition will get us higher quality education at more affordable fee points and the Indian student will benefit”, concludes Vineet Gupta Ashoka University Founder.

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