New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has approached envoys of 22 nations, urging them to encourage top-ranked institutions in their respective countries to examine the possibility of setting up their campuses in India, people familiar with the development said.

In a letter to the envoys, the higher education regulatory body has asked them to examine the UGC regulations issued last month in this regard and create awareness about the same on different platforms, the people added.

Also read: UGC issues guidelines for foreign institutions

The commission had on November 8 notified the UGC (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, which envisioned that “top universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India”.

The guidelines provide the foreign universities, which have secured a position within the top 500 in the global rankings, to set up their campuses in India with complete autonomy to decide admission processes and fee structure, even as the UGC will retain the power to keep a close watch on their operations.

“I request that you encourage the top-ranked institutions in your country to examine the possibility of setting up their campuses in India,” UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar wrote in a letter to envoys of 22 countries, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Singapore, early this week.

“I hope that your office will help us disseminate the information related to the Regulations at appropriate forums. I firmly believe that setting up the campuses of the institutions of your country in India will deepen the long-standing ties between our countries,” Kumar added.

The letter was also sent to envoys of Finland, Israel, Japan, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Luxembourg, and New Zealand.

The UGC had last month also launched an application portal for foreign institutions to apply for opening their campuses in India.

Kumar maintained that 10-12 foreign universities have already registered on the portal showing interest in setting up their campuses in India. “These universities are from Australia, the United Kingdom, United States and Europe,” the UGC chairperson told HT on Friday. “Once these universities will update all required documents on the portal, the commission will take their applications forward.”