The UK and India have a long history of cooperation, of which higher education is a key component. 24 July 2025 marked an important milestone in this relationship: both countries endorsed a new India-UK Vision 2035. Below, we break down what this means for higher education, and the important role UK universities will play in its delivery.
The India-UK Vision 2035
The India-UK Vision 2035 aims to deepen links between our two nations over the next ten years. It identifies five pillars for collaboration: growth, technology and innovation, defence and security, climate and clean energy, and education.
For the higher education sector, the vision also highlights key areas where the UK and India can work together in education and research. These include:
- nurturing the next generation of global talent
- deepening transnational education (TNE) collaborations between UK and Indian universities, including the establishment of campuses in each other’s countries and the development of joint and dual degrees in priority subject areas
- preparing the two countries for a BRISK (business, research, innovation, science and technology, and knowledge) partnership for the future
Mobility
This vision builds on an already strong foundation of UK-India collaboration to facilitate flows of students and young people pursuing life-changing education experiences. It supports the implementation of the existing India-UK memorandum of understanding on mutual recognition of academic qualifications, and further encourages youth and student exchanges. This includes exchanges through the Study India Programme and Young Professionals Scheme (YPS).
YPS is a visa route enabling students and young professionals from both countries to study or work in the other country for up to two years. It has been heavily oversubscribed for Indian professionals wishing to come to the UK. However, there’s a noticeable gap when it comes to UK students and young professionals taking advantage of opportunities in India. At Universities UK International (UUKi), we’re keen to change this by working with our members to improve the visibility and uptake of the scheme.
Broader trends in international student mobility also reflect the strength of the UK-India relationship. India became the largest single source of international students in UK higher education in the 2022–23 academic year. This trend has continued, with Indian students making up 22.7% of our international student population in 2023–24 and accounting for nearly a quarter of all Study visas issued in the year-ending March 2025.
A major driver of this growth is the Graduate visa, which enables international graduates to remain in the UK for up to three years without employer sponsorship. The UK Government’s commitment to retaining this unsponsored route sends a strong signal of welcome and strengthens the foundation for deeper India-UK collaboration in education and research.
TNE
Alongside mobility, TNE cooperation between India and the UK is at an exciting tipping point. There were over 14,000 students on UK TNE courses in India in 2023–24, but the flurry of partnership announcements over the past year signals that future years will see rapid growth.
Vision 2035 renews both governments’ commitments to encourage the growth of this form of cooperation, particularly via the opening of international branch campuses of leading UK universities, and the co-development of UK-Indian joint degrees and dual degree courses in strategically critical subject areas.
Strategic partnerships and research and innovation
Beyond mobility and TNE, there are many strategic partnerships between UK and Indian higher education institutions. Covering student exchanges and research collaborations, notable examples include the Imperial Global India Hub and the Swansea-Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur research partnerships. These play a vital role in connecting individual students, researchers and institutions across a wide range of subject areas.
The vision also introduces the UK-India Research and Innovation Corridor initiative, which aims to boost research and innovation collaborations across wide-ranging sectors. It focuses on economic growth in frontier technologies (artificial intelligence (AI), telecoms, critical minerals, biotech, semiconductors, quantum, advanced materials, cyber security and space) by bringing together research, innovation and commercialisation.
Looking ahead, these higher education partnerships could lead to research proposals submitted to India’s newly formed Anusandhan Research Foundation (ANRF) and the UK’s International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF). These bring researchers together to solve the world’s most prominent global challenges – especially in frontier technology areas such as AI and semiconductors.
What’s next for the higher education sector?
The India-UK Vision 2035 offers a great opportunity to build on the multiple existing partnerships and collaborations in education and research. It will enable the sector to deepen collaboration with India and take advantage of opportunities for student exchanges through the YPS and other schemes. We also expect greater research collaboration with a more coordinated approach focused on the frontier technologies, helping both our countries grow and prosper.