After receiving UGC approval, foreign higher education institutions (FHEIs) are permitted to open campuses in India. If the FHEIs want to set up campuses in the nation, they must fulfill a number of standards. Additionally, as determined from time to time by the commission, the applicant’s foreign university must have attained a rating in the top 500 of the global overall or subject-specific rankings. Second, the FHEI candidate should be a reputable organization within its own nation.

The admissions process and criteria at foreign higher education institutions established in India can modify to enroll both domestic and international students in accordance with the admission and price structure indicated in the proposal.

Foreign colleges now have the ability to select their own faculty members, thanks to the UGC. Additionally, FHEIs will have the power to choose a fair and transparent tuition system.

In accordance with the guidelines, foreign universities must publish their prospectus, which contains details about the fee schedule, the number of seats available in each program, eligibility requirements, admissions procedures, and refund policies, on their website at least 60 days before the admissions process starts.

UGC added that numerous initiatives are being taken to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. In order to facilitate the operation of the most prestigious universities in the world, the commission has implemented certain regulations that would make it simpler for international higher education institutions to establish campuses in India.

Stakeholders have praised India’s University Grants Commission’s proposed regulations as a “great step forward” for foreign higher education institutions looking to open campuses there.

It has generated some curiosity as the initial National Education Policy 2020 proposed to permit the top 100 universities to operate in India. Eight of the top 200 THE-ranked universities in 2021 would “certainly consider” opening a branch campus in India, according to the study.

The laws, in the opinion of experts, would provide answers to some problems for higher education providers wishing to join India, but there are still some ambiguities.

Vangelis Tsiligiris, associate professor at Nottingham Trent University and founder of TNE Hub, thinks that the suggestions were on the correct path as they seem to target decreasing administrative burden and streamlining the entire licensing process while defining standards to preserve quality.

The current economic climate, specifically the monetary tightening in western nations, may have an impact on the creation of new IBCs in India. The development of IBCs in India, however, may be accelerated by other circumstances, such as a potential new pandemic epidemic that would affect mobility, the expert noted.

Indian students would now have “right in their country” access to high-quality overseas education, according to UGC Chair M Jagadesh Kumar. He claims that there is a considerable need for international education among Indian students as nearly 450,000 Indian students have left for higher study abroad in 2022 alone, causing an estimated $28 to $30 billion in financial losses.

These universities will submit an application online, along with the necessary information being supplied on the UGC portal. The universities must also provide an assurance that the quality of education provided at their Indian campus will be on par with that provided at the main campus in the student’s country of origin and that the degrees granted to students at the Indian campus will be recognized as being equal to those granted by the institutions at the main campus.

When seeking an extension, the commission will demand FHEIs complete a quality assurance audit, arrange for an acceptable physical infrastructure in terms of built-up space for their academic programs, and submit the report.

The commission will also closely monitor how these universities run their operations and will always have the right to inspect the campus and how it is being run in order to evaluate the quality and suitability of the facilities, academic programs, and general operation. The regulations stated that the commission could take action at any moment to impose a fine and/or suspend or withdraw approval in the event of a violation of the rules.