India¡¯s higher education landscape is undergoing a transformative shift, with the increasing establishment of branch campuses by foreign universities.

Leading this wave of internationalisation, Deakin University and the University of Wollongong began admitting students to their Gift City campuses in 2024. Adding to this momentum, the University of Southampton is set to near Delhi from the current academic year.

Several other UK institutions ¨C including the University of Surrey, Queen¡¯s University Belfast and Coventry University ¨C have also announced plans to open campuses in , a strategic, low-tax hub that is still under construction in Gujarat. Meanwhile, Western Sydney University is reportedly , near Delhi, and several other universities have publicly expressed an interest in establishing Indian campuses.

Establishing a branch campus in India presents foreign universities with a mix of opportunities and multifaceted challenges. The country¡¯s expanding higher education sector, rising middle class and growing demand for internationally accredited education make for a highly attractive market. However, while that market is underserved by high-quality institutions, it is not uncompetitive. For Western universities, successfully competing with established Indian elite and semi-elite private universities and colleges demands strategic foresight and careful planning.

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The promotional materials being adopted by , and ?underscore the central role of brand reputation and academic credibility in attracting students. Maintaining academic integrity and preserving the institution¡¯s brand identity are essential to the success of any branch campus ¨C particularly if they charge higher fees than their local competitors.

Students who enrol in branch campuses will expect to ?receive an education equivalent in quality to that of the main campus, and that promise is being actively promoted by the three branch campuses already operating in India.

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But fulfilling this promise not only involves ensuring that curricula meet international standards and that degrees are properly accredited and widely recognised. It is also about ensuring that faculty are both well qualified and embody the ethos and academic values of the home institutions.

Moreover, such promises may not be believed if they are not underscored by transparent information on the faculty who will be teaching at the branch campuses. In the Indian context, it is not only students but also their parents who scrutinise university websites, advertisements and social media outputs before making enrolment decisions. Families place a strong emphasis on return on investment: affordability, employability and the immediate quality of academic offerings.

The identity, expertise and mentorship capacity of faculty are pivotal factors in this decision process. When institutions fail to name faculty members associated with a programme, it becomes difficult for prospective students to evaluate its credibility.

Hence, the visibility of faculty profiles on official websites and promotional materials should not be seen as a mere formality: it is a core marker of trustworthiness ¨C particularly given that universities¡¯ home institutions?usually provide detailed faculty profiles on their websites, including research interests, publication lists and contact information. When academic programmes are without any mention of the local faculty ¨C perhaps showcasing only professors from the home campus ¨C it can suggest to Indian students that there is a gap between standards at the home campus and the Indian branch.

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It could also suggest to students that appointments are yet to be finalised, which may be taken as a signal of under-preparedness. This, in turn, could raise concerns that programmes may rely on online delivery, adjuncts or temporary faculty in the interim period. And it risks giving the impression that the institution is impersonal and disconnected from student expectations.

In other words, institutions must recognise that inviting applications without disclosing faculty information is not just an unfortunate consequence of administrative timing: it is a strategic misstep that can impact reputation, enrolments and stakeholder trust.

India¡¯s open-door policy toward foreign universities was never an unconditional invitation ¨C it is a call to collaborate in meeting the evolving aspirations of its youth. Founding faculty play an important role in making this happen, creating a strong foundation for their branch campus to succeed by weaving critical elements into its fabric. They need to demonstrate local knowledge combined with global expertise, allowing them to design relevant curricula and teaching methods for the Indian context and build important connections with local industries. And, crucially, Indian policymakers and students alike need to be confident in their ability to do so. This is impossible if their identities are not disclosed.

Foreign branch campuses in India are likely to face significant challenges if they treat their Indian operations as peripheral teaching outposts. Today¡¯s Indian students are discerning and ambitious. If a branch campus¡¯ promises of an academic experience that matches that at its parent campus are not met, especially in the early years, that could damage the credibility of all existing branch campuses.

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It could also discourage other international universities from entering the Indian higher education space, undermining a development that could offer so much to both Indian students and Western institutions alike.

Eldho Mathews is programme officer (internationalisation) at the Kerala State Higher Education Council in Thiruvananthapuram, India.

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