India is one of five focus countries for the UK’s International Education Champion, Professor Sir Steve Smith, according to a statement by the British High Commission in New Delhi. The other four countries are Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Nigeria.
With the new strategy, Britain looks to widen the global reach of UK education. The initiative is also part of the UK government's newly formed action group that is being set up to work with the International Education Champion, universities, colleges, and schools.
As part of the new approach, Britain has removed targets on the number of overseas students recruited by domestic institutions. The focus now shifts to cutting down trade barriers, expanding education, and offering skills in growth markets, including international campuses.
“By expanding overseas, our universities, colleges and education providers can diversify income, strengthen global partnerships and give millions more access to a world-class UK education on their doorstep, all whilst boosting growth at home,” said UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.
The strategy also pointed to nine new British university campuses, including the University of Southampton, as announced by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Keir Starmer in October 2025, which are set to open campuses in India.
The University of Southampton will be the first foreign university to set up a campus in India under the new University Grants Commission regulations. Its Gurugram campus is flagged as a centre for research, innovation, and teaching and described as a “significant achievement.”
“Education exports are a major UK success story, and we're on track to grow the sector to 40 billion pounds by 2030, powered by world-leading providers driving digital learning, AI-enabled innovation and future skills development,” UK Minister for Trade Chris Bryant said.
In addition, Brazil, Mexico, and Pakistan have also been added to the list of emerging economies targeted to expand the global reach of UK education.
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