India’s global education push—via dual degrees and foreign IITs—is merging policy, diplomacy, and influence into a soft power strategy.
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For decades, India’s brightest minds have travelled abroad to pursue higher education. This trend is now shifting, with India witnessing a proliferation of foreign university partnerships, dual-degree programmes, and the opening of Indian campuses overseas. From a consumer of global education, India is set to become an international exporter of education, and crucially, of influence. This evolution of Indian education—rooted in strategic vision and reforms of the 2020 National Education Policy (NEP)—marks India’s bold bid to internationalise its education sector and leverage it as a strategic tool for soft power diplomacy.
From a consumer of global education, India is set to become an international exporter of education, and crucially, of influence.
Since times immemorial, India has hosted international students from several countries, especially South Asia. However, the numbers have lagged far behind Western countries such as the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, and Australia. Following the stagnation prompted by the pandemic in 2020–2022, there has been a surge in the number of foreign students in India (see figure below).
Figure 1: Number of International Students in India
Source: Foreign students in India at record high after COVID-19 tumble, 4 December, 2024, Times of India
According to the Government of India’s Study in India (SII) portal, 72,218 students from 200 countries were enrolled in Indian institutions in 2024–25. Most belong to neighbouring countries—including Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and African nations such as Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. Compared to this, 7,59,064 Indian students (over 10 times the foreign students in India) study abroad.
To counter—and perhaps even reverse—this outflow, the NEP introduces the concept of ‘internationalisation at home’, through three strategic directions:
For the first time, internationalisation of education is framed as a national priority, to make Indian education locally relevant, yet globally competitive. Accordingly, the policy encourages several approaches: collaborations with top global universities, dual and joint degree programmes, establishment of foreign university campuses in India, Indian universities setting up campuses abroad, student and faculty exchange programmes, research partnerships, and cross-border innovation hubs.
For the first time, internationalisation of education is framed as a national priority, to make Indian education locally relevant, yet globally competitive.
After five years of NEP, the vision is not just theoretical, but is increasingly becoming viable. Top-ranked foreign universities from the US, UK, Australia, and Europe are actively exploring opening Indian campuses. On the other hand, premier Indian institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), are opening doors in Abu Dhabi, Tanzania, and Australia.
India has historically used education as a tool to foster cultural exchange and strengthen people-to-people ties, to maintain prominence in the South Asian region. With the introduction of the NEP, India continues to prioritise its ‘neighbourhood first’ approach, but its ambitions have broadened. The NEP now aims to build global networks and nurture the next generation of world leaders with an Indian imprint. This is pursued through five key diplomatic approaches: First, to offer prestigious scholarships and participate in exchange programmes such as Inlaks, Commonwealth, Fulbright-Nehru, Rhodes, to enhance goodwill and build enduring ties with future global leaders. The second is to focus on South-South education cooperation by special incentives and reserved seats for students from neighbouring South Asian countries to deepen regional ties. Third, global partnerships through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), dual degree programmes and offshore campuses with countries such as Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea have been expanded to strengthen bilateral educational cooperation. Fourth, is the active outreach of Indian higher education abroad—through the SII Initiative—to attract international students (see Figure below).
Figure 2: Expanding Indian higher education abroad through the SII Initiative
Source: SII Master Brochure
Finally, the fifth approach includes developing a brand for Indian higher education by highlighting India's value-based, affordable education and showcasing India's unique offerings such as Yoga, Ayurveda, philosophies, and Sanskrit.
Of these five, the two most visible manifestations of internationalisation of education are expanding dual-degree programmes and establishing offshore campuses of Indian universities.
Dual or joint degree programmes allow students to pursue two distinct academic degrees—one from an Indian institution and another from a foreign partner—often involving spending time/ensuring physical attendance on both campuses. These can offer Indian students global exposure without the full cost of studying abroad, while expanding opportunities, professional networks, and employability. Between the universities collaborating for dual degrees, it can foster deep institutional linkages and joint research.
Similarly, offshore campuses play a significant role in promoting and exporting Indian education. These campuses serve the Indian diaspora and local populations, project Indian academic excellence abroad, and create new opportunities for research collaboration and cross-border innovation hubs. Furthermore, this move enhances India’s reputation as a provider, not just of a consumer, of world-class education.
Over the past few years, India’s internationalisation momentum has accelerated. The IITs are launching their campuses in at least three foreign countries. Top global universities are being encouraged to set up Indian campuses, and the government has stated that 15 foreign universities will open campuses in India by the end of this academic year (2025–26). In Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, an ‘EduCity’ with a leading foreign university campus is already underway.
Regulatory reforms are being prioritised to streamline and improve existing processes. The NEP had recommended the creation of a single, unified higher education regulator through the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI). A bill for this unified regulator, providing a one-stop regulatory framework for all higher education and a faster and more transparent process for approvals, accreditations, and compliance, is expected to be tabled in Parliament soon. Meanwhile, Economic Survey 2024–25 has also called for doubling educational infrastructure and targeting a 50 percent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education by 2035, focusing on global partnerships and multidisciplinary learning.
While the trajectory is promising, several challenges persist in internationalising Indian education. Concerns such as regulatory complexities, infrastructural constraints, and the need for faculty development require attention. It is also crucial to ensure quality and maintain academic standards and inclusive campuses across collaborative programmes, to sustain the credibility of Indian higher education on the global stage.
Aspirational initiatives such as dual degrees, cross-border campuses, and higher education policy reforms will help shift India’s image from a country known for ‘brain drain’ to one recognised for ‘brain gain’.
There is a need to fast-track a multi-pronged approach that prioritises strengthening institutional capacities and seamless cross-border partnerships. Additionally, it is essential to provide proper guidance to students on choosing complementary universities, managing combined academic workloads, and integrating their learning to expand skills, networks, and career opportunities.
India’s successful education diplomacy is poised to yield multi-dimensional dividends, including economic benefits, cultural exchange, stronger bilateral ties, and long-term brand building that will shape global perceptions, strengthening India’s position as both a regional and global leader. Aspirational initiatives such as dual degrees, cross-border campuses, and higher education policy reforms will help shift India’s image from a country known for ‘brain drain’ to one recognised for ‘brain gain’. Finally, internationalisation of Indian education will balance the Western dominance and reorient global academia towards a more inclusive, multipolar order, enriched by Indian thought, values, and knowledge traditions.
Arpan Tulsyan is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for New Economic Diplomacy, Observer Research Foundation.
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Arpan Tulsyan is a Senior Fellow at ORF’s Centre for New Economic Diplomacy (CNED). With 16 years of experience in development research and policy advocacy, Arpan ...
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