The strong demand for education in India combined with ambitious plans by the government to reform the education sector has created the largest opportunity in the world for international higher educators and service providers, according to a new report by the British Council.

The new report, Understanding India – the future of higher education and opportunities for international co-operation, was launched this week and draws from over 50 in-depth interviews with higher education leaders, academics and policy makers in the country.

It urges educators to engage with their Indian counterparts in key areas including research collaborations, quality teacher training and vocational skills development.

Improving the quality of teaching and learning is the highest priority of most institutions

According to Richard Everitt, the director of Education & Society at the British Council India, the country is at a critical point in its history.

“Things could go either way,” he told The PIE News. “Either you have this huge demographic bubble creating a productive work force to build the economy in India and the rest of the world or  you have mass unemployment, social distress and have to use all your public efforts on correcting that.”

In order to meet the demand created by the dramatic socio- and economic developments, the report says the Indian education sector must overcome low enrolment figures, low quality of teaching and learning, constraints on research and inequalities in access to higher education.

India’s central government is also roadblocking internationalisation with stakeholders saying it’s too slow and “interfering” with state level policy.

This year’s national election will see the movement towards autonomy of the 28 Indian states progress, the report says, encouraging educators to operate  “flexibly and creatively” to navigate the complex reform system.

According to the Indian interviewees, improving the quality of teaching and learning is the highest priority of most institutions creating opportunities for foreign providers in the form of faculty exchanges and digital distance learning.

Education leaders are also looking to partner with foreign institutions on research in the the social sciences, humanities and arts, as well as in STEM disciplines.

Enhancing employment opportunities through industry links and vocational skills development is another area that holds opportunities for international educators.

This year’s national election will see the movement toward autonomy of the 28 Indian states continue

The fall in Indian enrolments in both the UK and US is the result of strengthened domestic provision in the country. According to the report’s author, Lynne Heslop, UK educators should capitalise on the shift in mobility.

“Several big reforms are about to begin to have an effect, and it is clear that the UK’s education providers have a great opportunity to work with Indian providers and establish long term partnerships for mutual benefit,” she said.

“But this will require the UK sector to come to and reach out to India in wider and more diverse partnerships. More UK students and faculty need to come to India.”