Foreign unis setting up campuses in India as fewer students head abroad

Move allows these schools to skirt immigration policies and boost income

- Debarshi Dasgupta India Correspondent

Students at Deakin University's campus in India's Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (Gift City). The Australian school was the first to set up a campus in India, and since then, two other foreign institutions have followed suit. PHOTO: COURTESY OF DEAKIN UNIVERSITY GIFT CITY CAMPUS

(COURTESY OF DEAKIN UNIVERSITY GIFT CITY CAMPUS)

Like many Indian students, Ms Sakshi Talreja had plans to study abroad. In 2024, she managed to secure a spot at two Australian institutions – Deakin University in Melbourne and Queensland University of Technology – but was forced to drop her pursuit of a foreign degree because her family could not afford an overseas education.

But fate had a fortuitous twist for her. That year, in July, Deakin University came to her when it opened an offshore campus in Gujarat. A thrilled Ms Talreja lost no time in enrolling for a two-year postgraduate degree in cyber security at the institution in 2025.

“It was a really convenient opportunity for me,” the 24-year-old told The Straits Times. “Being able to access foreign quality education not far from home has worked out well,” said Ms Talreja, who comes from Ulhasnagar in the neighbouring state of Maharashtra.

Deakin University is among at least 14 foreign universities that have either set up offshore campuses in India or are planning to do so, drawn not just by the country’s large pool of students and academics, but also by its fast-growing economy and demand for highly skilled professionals.

The entry of these institutions is something the Indian government is also encouraging as part of its efforts to provide quality global curricula to its youth and raise the standard of higher education by attracting institutions ranked among the world’s top 500.