From IITs to IIMs to the University of Delhi (DU) – top Indian universities will soon have foreign campuses. This is part of the Narendra Modi government’s plan of internationalizing Indian colleges.

In the first section only selected institutes will be allowed to open offshore campuses. This will be shortlisted based on the category of institutes,  academic history, batch size and courses. The government is expected to release detailed guidelines and a list of institutes which will be allowed to open an international campus in the coming weeks.

The offshore campuses will not only attract foreign students and build a brand for Indian institutes abroad. They will also expand the exposure of Indian students with international courses and collaborations.

Indian students will have an option to pursue a part of their degree programmes at these international locations. Twinning programmes would be a precursor to this offshore campus expansion.

Getting approvals from foreign countries to set-up campuses on their land can be exhaustive for Indian colleges in terms of expanditure as well as paperwork for permissions.

Currently, around 48,000 international students study in institutes across India on an average. Most of these students come from neighbouring countries including Nepal, Bhutan, Africa. However, the government wants to expand its reach.

“This is part of the brand-building of Indian institutes. At present, India is not top-of-mind for international candidates, especially from the West, and we want to change that,” an official said from the Ministry of Education told moneycontrol.com.

Education ministry estimates indicate that close to 200,000 students travel abroad every year for higher education, resulting in an outflow of almost Rs 50,000 crore ($6.7 billion) every year.

The strategy also includes the introduction of credit recognition under the twinning arrangement, offer courses in link with foreign institutes, outreach to international diaspora and attract foreign students and build a good reputation.

Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here