Transnational education solutions

Confidently navigate the Indian and global higher education market with QS guidance and expertise.

India will define the next decade

The center of gravity in global higher education is shifting towards India. Demographic momentum, economic growth, and policy reform are driving unprecedented demand for talent development, international engagement, and institutional excellence.

Having partnered with India’s higher education sector for more than two decades, QS is uniquely positioned to enable this transformation, connecting institutions, policymakers, and employers to global opportunities, insights, and partnerships that deliver lasting impact.

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20+ years

We've connected global ambition with India's education system for over 20 years.

9.8

visitors from India on TopUniversities.com in 2024.

31,300

students registered for our India recruitment events in 2024.

of QS India Summit 2025 delegates were Chancellors, Directors or Rectors.

TNE launch framework

Institutions can engage QS at any point in their TNE lifecycle, leveraging targeted expertise to scope opportunities or a fully integrated delivery model to support successful entry and long-term growth in India.

Decide (Months 1-3)

Entry Diagnostic

Should we enter India, and how?

Subject-level demand assessment using QS Global Student Flows and QS International Student Survey data
Market entry pathway recommendations across branch campus, GIFT City, twinning, joint and dual degree models
Recommended entry structure, ownership structure and operating model
Competitive whitespace, pricing band and price elasticity analysis and modeling
Location shortlist across Tier 1 metropolitan markets, as well as Tier 2 and Tier 3 locations across India, including GIFT City, Navi Mumbai EduCity and state incentive zones
Funding, repatriation and tax strategy including tax leakage review
Board-ready business case with recommended pathway

Design (Months 3-9)

Programme and Regulatory Architecture

What should we build, and how do we get it approved?

Program portfolio aligned to local skills demand and validated through our network of 1,500+ employers
Curriculum architecture aligned to Indian assessment requirements and labour market needs
UGC project report and application strategy mapped to regulatory review criteria
Faculty workforce model through India-based recruitment, fly-in faculty and home-campus rotation models
Board-ready regulatory application package and Year 1 operational blueprint

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Operate (Months 9-14)

Operating and investment model

How do we get started, and who do we work with?

Academic Service Provider (ASP) partner shortlist and recommendation
Investor scouting and investment plan
Final branch campus operating and funding structure, developed with a specialist tax consultant

Launch (Months 14-24)

India launch engine

How do we get our first cohort through the door?

End-to-end student recruitment strategy and delivery with QS University Services, counseling 1m+ Indian students annually
Brand positioning strategy for parents and counselors – key stakeholders in higher education decision-making
Inquiry management, admissions and offer-holder conversion through QS’s Pan-India presence
Employer engagement and career mapping using QS 1Mentor

What our partners think

"[The QS India Summit] crystallised our thinking about what we wanted to do in India."

Professor Mark E. Smith

President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Southampton

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"QS is able to engage the Global South to connect with the interests of the Global North."

Professor Raj Kumar

Founding Vice-Chancellor, O.P. Jindal Global University

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"The highest growth in demand is from traditional strongholds which are typically high-volume markets including India and that is putting a lot of internal operational pressure on us. That’s why it has been so good to lean on QS, for the support, for the technology and for the insights. They’ve really helped us."

Marko Remes

Dean, International Business Operations, Edith Cowan University

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"The QS India Summit was a fantastic opportunity to engage with colleagues from the UK, QS, and a host of international universities. We made some invaluable connections with Indian institutions. Needless to say, meeting such a diverse and insightful group of institutions is constantly shaping Sheffield’s activity in India, and this is a strategic focus for the University in the coming years."