Global degrees, Indian address

FOREIGN UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES ARE EXPANDING CHOICE TO EARN GLOBAL DEGREES

- VIKRAM CHAUDHARY

INTERNATIONAL BRANCH campuses (IBCs) in India are set to transform higher education, not by replacing the study-abroad experience, but by democratising access to global degrees through lower costs and stronger local relevance, Rahul Choudaha, professor & chief operating officer at the University of Aberdeen, Mumbai, told FE.

"With major regulatory changes paving the way for top-ranked foreign universities to operate in India, the move will widen the net for students aspiring for international education,"he said."IBCs in India do not replicate or replace the overseas experience; instead, they offer something unique by expanding student choice to earn global degrees at home - at lower cost and with stronger local relevance."

Financial barriers

He said that, for Indian families, foreign education has been viewed as an investment in a better future. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, 1.25 million Indian students pursued higher education degrees overseas in 2025. Financial commitment is massive, with families spending $2.92 billion overseas for education in FY25, per RBI.