NEW DELHI: University of Lancaster and University of Surrey have received the nod to set up campuses in India, announced UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his first visit to India.
The approval of the two universities takes the number of institutions from the UK setting up offshore campuses in India to nine.
While the University of Southampton opened a campus in Delhi earlier this year, University of York, University of Aberdeen, University of Bristol, University of Liverpool, Queen's University Belfast and the University of Coventry will open campuses from next year onwards.
According to a statement by the British High Commission here, Prime Minister Starmer has confirmed that the University of Lancaster and the University of Surrey have been given approval to open new campuses in India to help meet their booming demand for higher education places.
Currently, there are 40 million students at university in India and 70 million places are needed by 2035. The UK's world-renowned higher education sector is capitalising on that demand by giving thousands of Indian students the chance to study for a UK degree without leaving home – while bolstering India's economy by millions of pounds.
With the new campuses announced on Thursday, the UK is set to become a country with the biggest higher education footprint in India.
Starmer and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated the milestone in a meeting with UK vice chancellors in Mumbai on Thursday.
The UK prime minister is on a two-day trade mission to strengthen ties with one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and put money back into the pockets of hard-working British people.
"Our great British universities are admired all over the world for their teaching excellence, high-quality research and commitment to innovation. I am delighted that more Indian students will be able to benefit from a world-class British education in the near future -- strengthening the ties between our two countries while pumping millions back into our economy and supporting jobs at home," Starmer said.
UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said that the British higher education is world-leading, and this expansion shows its global appeal.
"Opening new campuses in India will give more young people the chance to benefit from a UK education, while delivering real returns for our universities at home. As we prepare to set out our International Education Strategy, these new campuses are a marker of our ambition: building long-term partnerships that deliver growth, innovation and opportunity for both countries," said Phillipson.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) had announced the Setting Up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India Regulations in 2023.
The University of Southampton became the first foreign university to set up its campus in India under the regulations.