London, Oct 9 (PTI) – The United Kingdom is poised to establish the largest higher education presence in India, as nine British universities have confirmed plans to open new campuses. This development coincides with Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s upcoming visit to Mumbai on Thursday. Starmer has announced that the University of Lancaster and University of Surrey have been approved to set up campuses, following the recent opening of a University of Southampton campus in Gurugram.
Next in line for establishing campuses in India are the University of York, University of Aberdeen, University of Bristol, University of Liverpool, Queen’s University Belfast, and the University of Coventry, which are expected to start operations from next year.
According to a Downing Street statement, the UK is set to bolster its reputation globally through these new campuses, becoming the country with the largest higher education footprint in India.
The UK government estimates that this expansion will contribute an economic boost of 50 million pounds as part of the initiative.
Prime Minister Starmer expressed his delight over this development, emphasizing the mutual benefits: Indian students will gain access to top-tier British education, while the UK will see economic returns and job support domestically.
UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson highlighted that establishing campuses in India will broaden access to UK education and provide tangible benefits for UK universities.
The announcement was made in the presence of university vice-chancellors during a significant trade mission accompanying Starmer, celebrating the India-UK education collaboration at a meeting in Mumbai.
Professor Andrew Atherton, Vice-President of the University of Southampton, noted that the first students are already reaping the benefits from this new international campus initiative.
According to Professor Stephen Jarvis, President of the University of Surrey, the Universities in India Alliance allows the nine participating institutions to explore synergies between UK higher education and India’s considerable talent and ambition. The University of Surrey plans to establish its International Branch Campus at GIFT City, Gujarat.
The University of Lancaster aims to form partnerships with Indian businesses and local universities through its branch campus in Bengaluru to foster collaborative growth.
Professor Charlie Jeffery emphasized that the University of York's Mumbai campus will focus on research and collaboration, supporting India’s sustainability efforts, future technologies, and creative industries.
Other noteworthy collaborations in the education sector resulting from Starmer’s visit include Imperial College London's partnership with Science Gallery Bengaluru and medtech collaborations between University College London (UCL), IIT Delhi, and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
UK statistics indicate there are 40 million students at universities in India, but the country requires 70 million places by 2035, representing a significant opportunity for the higher education sector to expand and contribute to the 32 billion pounds of export revenue that international education brings to Britain.
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