Higher Education's Eureka Moment

Indian universities' campus in foreign soil and foreign university campuses in Indian soil have been celebrated with animated ecstasy as progress for Indian higher education.

- S Vaidhyasubramaniam Vice-Chancellor, SASTRA Deemed University

With gross enrolment ratio in India still needing higher growth, one might wonder why should Indian institutions open campuses abroad? If such a logic is applied for textile exports when many poor in India are still starved of quality clothing, India cannot be competitive in the global textile industry. On the other hand, foreign universities establishing campuses in India is seen as progress with Australia and the UK making their first move to seize the market access. Will this entry continue like an avalanche or Indian universities shall expand in both quantity and quality to competitively outgrow the foreign counterparts in India? The answer(s) to this question shall uncork the high-pressure bottle of Indian higher education which needs a policy stick to contain the regulatory frenzy and a magic wand to let out the deregulatory bliss. Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent speech at the Global Business Summit provide the pathway for higher education?