New Delhi: NITI Aayog on Monday released a major policy report outlining a strategy to internationalise India’s higher education ecosystem, setting an ambitious target of hosting one lakh international students across central and state universities by 2030 and positioning education as a key pillar of India’s soft power strategy.
Titled Internationalisation of Higher Education in India: Prospects, Potential, and Policy Recommendations, the report was unveiled by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery along with members V.K. Paul and Arvind Virmani, and CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam. Senior officials from the education sector, including the higher education secretary and the AICTE chairman, were also present at the launch.
The report places strong emphasis on “internationalisation at home” as envisioned under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, calling for deeper academic collaborations, increased student and faculty mobility, and the establishment of foreign university campuses in India as well as overseas campuses by Indian institutions.
Backed by extensive data, the study draws on a nationwide survey of 160 higher education institutions across 24 states, inputs from a national workshop at IIT Madras, and interviews with experts from 30 international institutions across 16 countries, making it one of the most comprehensive assessments of higher education internationalisation in the Global South.
Speaking at the launch, Bery said internationalisation carries both a “business case and a diplomatic case” for India, particularly as global competition for talent intensifies. Paul linked the recommendations to India’s long-term development goals under Viksit Bharat 2047, while Virmani stressed the need to strengthen doctoral programmes through international partnerships.
Subrahmanyam highlighted potential economic benefits, including improved course quality, reduced foreign exchange outflow, and expanded research collaborations, while underlining the role of private universities and the Indian diaspora in accelerating global engagement. The report also notes that regulatory reforms under NEP and UGC norms have already facilitated the entry of nearly 13 foreign universities into India.
Overall, the report proposes 22 policy recommendations supported by 76 action pathways and 125 performance indicators across five thematic areas, including regulation, finance, branding, and curriculum reform, aimed at transforming India into a global hub for higher education and research by 2047.