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India's $100 Billion Education Boom: 2.7 Billion Sq Ft Campus Expansion by 2035

India requires a massive $100 billion investment to construct 2.7 billion square feet of new academic infrastructure by 2035, aiming to achieve a 50% gross enrolment ratio. This expansion is driven by surging student numbers, demographic momentum, and landmark regulatory reforms like the NEP 2020. The report highlights strong international interest, with several top global universities already announcing new campuses in India. States like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra are offering incentives and developing dedicated education hubs to facilitate this unprecedented growth.

Key Points: India's $100B Higher Ed Expansion to Add 2.7B Sq Ft

  • $100B construction investment
  • 2.7B sq ft new academic space
  • 25M additional student seats needed
  • Top global universities setting up campuses
  • Policy reforms driving expansion
2 min read

India likely to add 2.7 billion sq ft of academic space, see $100 bn investment by 2035

India plans $100 billion investment for 2.7 billion sq ft of new academic space by 2035 to meet soaring student demand, creating the world's largest education build-out.

"This scale of expansion... represents arguably the largest higher-education build-out market globally. - ANAROCK Report"

New Delhi, Feb 5

Nearly 30,000 acres of new campus land and about 2.7 billion square feet of academic infrastructure are expected in India by 2035 to meet surging student demand, marking world's largest institutional real estate opportunities over the next decade, a report said on Thursday.

The report from ANAROCK Capital said that meeting the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 target of a gross enrolment ratio (GER) of 50 per cent by 2035 will require roughly 25 million additional seats and about $100 billion in construction‑led investment for academic facilities alone, excluding land acquisition and student accommodation infrastructure.

"This scale of expansion, underpinned by demographic momentum, rising enrolments, globalisation of education, and landmark regulatory reforms, represents arguably the largest higher-education build-out market globally," the report mentioned.

The real estate services firm highlighted India's higher‑education enrolments rose from 27 million in 2010‑11 to 45 million in 2022‑23, driven by powerful demographic engines and rising household aspirations, and universities increased from 760 in 2015 to 1,338 in 2025, while total higher education institutions grew from 51,534 to 70,018.

"We believe the provision in the Union Budget 2026 to support the creation of five university townships reflects a recognition of the gap in academic infrastructure," said Shobhit Agarwal, CEO-ANAROCK Capital.

After the FHEI Regulations foreign higher‑education institutions ranked within the top 500 globally can now establish campuses without affiliating with Indian universities, noted Aashiesh Agarwaal, SVP-Investment Advisory, ANAROCK Capital.

In addition to the three global university campuses that have already opened, thirteen institutions have announced upcoming campuses, such as Lancaster (UK), Liverpool (UK), Illinois Institute of Technology (US), and Instituto Europeo di Design (Italy), signalling strong international confidence in India's education market, Agarwaal added.

Uttar Pradesh has rolled out stamp duty exemptions and capital subsidies for higher education institutions.

GIFT City in Gujarat has created a dedicated international campus framework with shared academic infrastructure. Maharashtra has anchored its strategy around a 250-acre 'Educity' near Navi Mumbai International Airport, securing commitments from five foreign higher education institutions, said the report.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
$100 billion is a huge number. My main concern is whether this will make education more expensive for the average Indian family. Building world-class campuses is good, but we must ensure affordability and focus on employability skills, not just infrastructure.
R
Rohit P
Great to see UP and Maharashtra taking the lead with incentives. The Educity near Navi Mumbai sounds promising. But the real challenge will be quality faculty. We can build billions of sq ft, but without good teachers and updated curricula, it's just empty buildings.
S
Sarah B
As someone who studied abroad, I'm excited to see top global universities setting up campuses here. It will give students more options without the huge cost of going overseas. Lancaster and IIT Chicago are great additions. Hope the degree standards are maintained.
V
Vikram M
The numbers are staggering - 25 million additional seats! This is the kind of scale India needs. But let's not forget about the supporting infrastructure: hostels, transport, libraries. The report says it excludes student accommodation, which is a massive requirement itself.
K
Karthik V
While the expansion is necessary, I hope it's planned sustainably. 30,000 acres is a lot of land. We must ensure it doesn't come at the cost of agriculture or forests. Also, will these new institutions be accessible to students from rural backgrounds? Equity is key.
M

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