Facing domestic pressures, English universities set up shop in India

SOCIAL – EDUCATION

13 FEBRUARY 2026

• The University of Southampton has opened a campus near Delhi, becoming the first British university to establish a physical presence in India under new regulations.
• It is part of a broader trend, as 19 foreign universities plan to open in India; 9 of them are from the United Kingdom.
• Southampton opened with 120 students in August 2025 and plans to expand to 5,500 students over a decade.
• The University of Surrey plans a campus in GIFT City.
• The University of York also plans to open in India later in 2026.
• This follows a 2025 reset in India–U.K. relations, which included a free-trade agreement deepening education cooperation

India’s Policy Shift (2023 Rules)

• India introduced regulations allowing top-ranked foreign universities to open campuses to offer degrees equivalent to those offered in home countries

Why U.K. Universities Are Moving Abroad

1️.   Immigration Pressure in Britain

       The U.K. government has:

• Tightened student visa rules
• Introduced a £925 annual levy per international student
• Sought to reduce net migration

Since international students count in migration data, recruitment in Britain has become politically sensitive.

2️.   Financial Pressure on Universities

According to U.K. data:

• ~45% of English universities may face deficits in 2025–26

Revenue pressures include:

• Capped domestic tuition fees
• Reduced research grants
• Declining international recruitment

Opening overseas campuses helps:

• Diversify income
• Reduce dependence on U.K.-based international students

Fee Advantage

• Courses costing over £25,000 per year in the U.K. will cost approximately £10,000–£12,000 in India.
• This makes foreign degrees more accessible to Indian students who may not want to relocate and are discouraged by stricter visa rules

A Shift in the Education Model

• Professor Andrew Atherton described this as a shift from: “Students going to universities” to “Universities going to students.”
• Education exports are worth £32 billion annually to the U.K. and targeted to reach £40 billion by 2030.
• But future growth may come from overseas campuses rather than inbound migration.

Broader Implications

For India:

• Expands access to global-quality education
• Enhances competition in higher education
• Aligns with internationalisation goals

For the U.K.:

• Protects a major export sector
• Reduces reliance on politically sensitive immigration flows
• Creates long-term international presence