Archive · 29 Oct 2025
Foreign Universities Spark Talent War in India, Driving Up Salaries
Imagine many new, fancy schools from other countries want to open branches in India.
These new schools need good teachers, just like the schools already in India.
Because so many schools want the same few really smart teachers, they are offering them lots of money, sometimes even more than they make now!
This makes it hard for the old schools to keep their best teachers.
The government wants more students to go to college, so it's okay for new schools to come, but now everyone is trying to find and hire the smartest professors, causing a big competition for teaching talent across the country.
Foreign universities from the UK, Italy, US, and Australia are planning to open campuses in India starting next year.
The influx of foreign institutions has intensified the competition for top academic talent, driving up faculty salaries.
Indian institutions are actively working to retain their faculty by improving research opportunities and career growth.
There is a projected shortage of 500,000 to 800,000 university teachers needed in India over the next decade.
Salaries for senior academic positions at these new foreign campuses can range from ₹50 lakh for faculty to ₹1.5-2 crore for leadership roles.
- Who
- Foreign universities and existing Indian higher education institutions.
- What
- A competitive scramble for academic talent driven by the entry of foreign universities into India.
- When
- Beginning next year, with recruitment ongoing.
- Where
- Primarily in major Indian cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and GIFT City.
- Why
- To expand higher education access and quality as per the National Education Policy 2020, leading to a high demand for qualified faculty.
Indian Institutions
Foreign Universities
Faculty Recruitment
Indian Institutions
Strengthening research ecosystems and career growth opportunities to retain top faculty. Offering intellectually stimulating environments and robust research opportunities.
Foreign Universities
Actively recruiting top-tier faculty, offering significantly higher salaries (up to ₹1.5-2 crore for director/vice-chancellor roles, around ₹50 lakh for faculty) and perks like overseas training.
Talent Pool
Indian Institutions
Leveraging exceptional talent from existing elite Indian institutions like IITs and IIMs.
Foreign Universities
Scouting for talent from Indian institutions, international schools, and their home countries, highlighting a shortage of qualified faculty.
- Institutions Entering India
- Universities of Southampton, Liverpool, York, Aberdeen, Queen’s University Belfast (UK); Istituto Europeo di Design (Italy); Illinois Institute of Technology (US); University of Wollongong (Australia).
- Target Locations
- New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, GIFT City (Gujarat).
- Drivers for Entry
- National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, aiming to increase the gross enrollment ratio.
- Estimated Teacher Shortage
- 500,000-800,000 needed over the next decade to meet NEP expansion targets.
- Salary Offers (Faculty)
- Around ₹50 lakh.
- Salary Offers (Director/Vice-Chancellor)
- ₹1.5-2 crore.
- Gross Enrolment Ratio Target
- 50% by 2035 (up from 26.3% in 2018).