But if the first chapter of India’s transnational education (TNE) story was policy and permission, the second is the less glamorous but crucial part. It’s about admissions, professors and whether an Indian family grappling with a dizzying array of choices will actually pick a foreign university’s India campus above everything else on offer.
“The announcement phase has definitely given way to the reality phase,” says Sagar Bahadur, Executive Director for India, South Asia and Southeast Asia at Acumen and co-founder of Navi Japan, who has closely tracked the evolution of the sector.
Big News, Small Numbers
The first statistical points are modest. At GIFT City, Gujarat, where Deakin and Wollongong were the first movers, the two institutions enrolled about 60 students in their first year combined. But those who are tracking the policy and its implementation say that this is not the verdict as it takes time to build awareness and trust and a track record with students and parents. “I’m more interested in the composition of the cohorts than the size,” notes Sagar. Wollongong’s early adoption of fintech, computers and data analytics is a good match for the financial-services and technological environment GIFT City is aiming to develop. Educational planners say this is the right direction for TNE in India as economic activity around the campus is related to the academic focus.
Fee rates? No, wrong diagnosis
Normally, cost is often cited as a reason for slow enrolments. “I don’t think the fees are the problem. India has never lacked students and families willing to pay for quality education. The more basic problem is perception of value,” highlights Sagar. That is the difference. If the problem were fees that could be addressed through financing options or discounts. But if the problem is value perception, the resolution is tougher: international universities must explain, convincingly.
The reality is Indian students have a crowded set of choices that include respectable domestic institutions, a growing tier of credible private universities, more-established study-abroad destinations and now a growing roster of foreign campuses at home. A foreign university can’t just take its international brochure and put it in India and expect Indian students to come. The proposition must be globally credible but locally relevant and delivered through international faculty and networks, global mobility, industry exposure, employability and real research possibilities.
The Missing Middle Employers and Schools
One structural gap that may explain the delayed traction is detachment in the two ends of the TNE funnel – the institutions that feed students in and firms that absorb graduates at the other end. Yes. Educationists agree that a much deeper involvement is needed before deciding on location, programmes, eligibility, fees and even aspects of the student experience. Early engagement with schools is vital to create awareness and build trust with candidates and parents.
The Question Every Newcomer Has To Answer
The key strategic challenge that each foreign campus must answer is, are they coming to India to recruit Indian students or to construct an Indian institution with a global identity? “To me that distinction is fundamental. A school that sees its India campus as a recruitment tool is unlikely to be a mass player and will compete on marginal cost and convenience,” points out Sagar. One that commits to building genuine academic, research and industry ecosystems within India, is playing for something far larger.
UNSW Bengaluru has signed a strategic collaboration with Deloitte India to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in AI & Innovation. It hopes to bring together global top 20 university with AI and innovation in India by linking academia, students and industry to meet the demand for future-ready talent. The tie up seeks to create a platform that integrates education with industry-relevant practice, applied research and knowledge exchange between learners, industry and practitioners.
So, the policy scaffolding is there, the campuses are there and brand names too. What is unproven is whether the universities behind those gates and the ecosystem of schools, employers and regulators surrounding them are prepared to do the slower, harder work of building institutions Indian students actually want to attend.
The author is a former journalist and education entrepreneur.
