March of foreign universities sparks a battle for top faculty

A wave of foreign universities set to wash over India has triggered a scramble for top-tier faculty, boosting salaries and exposing the scarcity of academic talent. Meanwhile, top Indian institutions are fighting to retain their own top teachers.

- Mansi Verma & Devina Sengupta

Universities of Southampton, Liverpool, York, Aberdeen and Queen's University Belfast from the UK, Italy's Istituto Europeo di Design and US-based Illinois Institute of Technology are in line to enter India next year, apart from a clutch of Australian universities. The institutions are primarily scouting New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Gujarat's GIFT City to open their campuses.

Typically, universities hire for academic and non-academic roles. While the former covers teachers, vice-provosts, vice-presidents and deans, the latter includes vice-chancellors.