NITI Aayog Proposes ‘Campus-within-Campus’ Model to Bring Foreign Universities to India

NITI Aayog has proposed a campus-within-campus model to allow foreign universities to operate from Indian institutions as part of a roadmap to globalise higher education.

In order to globalise India’s higher education system, NITI Aayog has proposed allowing foreign universities to operate from within Indian campuses, introducing a “campus-within-campus” model. The proposal suggests strengthening international collaboration and reducing outflow of Indian students abroad.

Under proposed framework, foreign universities will be allowed to establish academic centres inside Indian universities for a limited tenure of up to 10 years, during which they can offer joint teaching programmes, collaborative research and degree courses.

NITI Aayog Proposal: campus-within-campus

NITI Aayog has released a comprehensive report on the Internationalisation of Higher Education in India, aimed at positioning leading Indian higher education institutions at forefront of global academic and research discourse. Report presents 22 policy recommendations, along with 76 action pathways, 125 performance success indicators and 30 best practices from Indian and global institutions.

Among major recommendations are designing a comprehensive national strategy for internationalisation and establishing an Indian Alumni Ambassador Network to enhance global outreach and collaboration.

The policy roadmap highlights Important concern: India sends far more students overseas than it attracts, with the US, UK and Canada continuing to dominate as preferred study destinations for Indian learners. NITI Aayog believes new model could help bring global education closer to home, offering international exposure without high costs associated with studying abroad.

Government think tank has also recommended simplifying credit transfer systems, easing regulatory approvals and enabling joint or co-branded degrees to make Indian universities globally competitive. Improving visa norms for international students and aligning curricula with global standards are also part of its proposal.

This move is in line with National Education Policy, which encourages entry of top global institutions and envisions India emerging as a global education hub in coming decades.