New Delhi, 1st August 2023: In a momentous development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam 2023 on July 29, in commemoration of the third anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. During his address at the event, Prime Minister Modi highlighted India’s increasing significance as a hub of boundless opportunities in the education sector. He revealed that several countries had approached India to establish Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) campuses, and foreign universities had expressed keen interest in setting up campuses within India.
Prime Minister Modi proudly cited India’s remarkable achievements in software and space technologies, asserting that competing with India’s capabilities was a challenging task. He also expressed confidence in India’s defense technology strategy, which focuses on ‘least cost’ and ‘highest quality,’ and he believed it would lead to great success.
The Prime Minister emphasized that India’s education system had earned immense respect worldwide, given the country’s growing industrial reputation and flourishing start-up ecosystem. He proudly announced that Indian institutes were consistently climbing the global rankings. Moreover, he declared the establishment of two IIT campuses in Zanzibar and Abu Dhabi.
During his speech, Prime Minister Modi disclosed that numerous other countries had requested India to open IIT campuses within their borders, reflecting the international recognition of India’s evolving education ecosystem. Additionally, he revealed that foreign universities were eager to set up campuses in India, thanks to the favorable changes in the country’s education sector. As a testament to this growing trend, two Australian institutions would be establishing campuses in Gujarat’s GIFT City.
Furthermore, it was revealed that IIT Delhi had plans to inaugurate a new international campus in Abu Dhabi, UAE, by 2024. An agreement between the two governments for this purpose was signed earlier on July 15 by the Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan.
Earlier this year, in January, Professor Rangan Banerjee, the head of IIT Delhi, had stated in an interview with News18 that discussions about establishing a new campus in Abu Dhabi had been ongoing since the previous year.
Additionally, IIT Madras had already made an announcement about opening its campus in Zanzibar, Tanzania. This will be the first-ever worldwide IIT campus and is set to commence operations in October of the current year. Furthermore, IIT Kharagpur was also exploring the possibility of establishing an international campus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
This surge of interest from foreign institutions in setting up campuses in India showcases the country’s rising stature in the global education landscape. With the support of favorable policy changes and a growing reputation for excellence in education, India is fast becoming an attractive destination for world-class education and academic collaborations.
