Spanish universities look to India as it opens doors to TNE
At a bilateral higher education conference in New Delhi, India’s education minister Dharmendra Pradhan formally invited leading Spanish universities to establish campuses in the country, emphasising that India is “open, ready, and welcoming” to foreign providers under the framework of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Over 30 Spanish senior academic leaders representing the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE) met with representatives from around 70 Indian institutions last week, marking what both sides framed as a shift from senior engagement to practical collaboration.
The bridges of knowledge we build today will shape the confidence of our youth tomorrow
Dharmendra Pradhan, Indian education minister
Talks focused on joint degrees, research links, staff mobility, and innovation partnerships, with official MoUs expected later in the year.
For India, the outreach forms a part of wider strategy to position itself as both a destination and a hub for global higher education. The NEP allows leading international universities to open campuses, offer joint dual awards, and deliver programs locally, a model designed to expand capacity while reducing the need for students to study abroad.
Spanish institutions are also seeking to diversify their international activity beyond traditional recruitment markets. India’s scale, demographic growth, and policy reforms make it an attractive partner for European providers looking to develop new transnational pathways.
Ambassador of Spain to India, Juan Antonio March Pujol, claimed that the purpose of the meeting is to begin a collaborative process with the full involvement of universities from both countries. He added that the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, had conveyed to the Spanish President that academic collaboration is an absolute priority, offering maximum facilities for Spanish universities willing to open campuses in India.
Spanish entry would add a new European dimension to India’s developing transnational landscape, which has so far been dominated by partnerships with English-speaking systems. Thus, broader collaboration could expand subject choice and multilingual provision.
The initiative comes as no surprise, as it sits within the Spain-India Dual Year 2026 – marking 70 years of diplomatic relations, placing education, research, and student exchange at the centre of bilateral cooperation.
“At the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, one message is clear: AI must strengthen human judgment, creativity & ethical responsibility-not replace it. Democracies must lead in shaping responsible innovation. India and Spain are committed to doing exactly that,” stated Dharmendra Pradhan, India’s education minister.
“With leading rectors from Spain and 100+ vice chancellors in one room, today’s conference is about moving from dialogue to delivery. The bridges of knowledge we build today will shape the confidence of our youth tomorrow.”
As the meeting took place alongside an AI summit, which underlined ambitions to connect partnerships with industry and startup ecosystems, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies were identified as priority areas for collaboration.
In addition, policymakers stressed the importance of joint research in shaping ethical and human-centred approaches to new tools.
While no Spanish branch campuses have yet been announced, the level of participation and the clear policy support from New Delhi suggest feasibility discussions are under way, as delivering European degrees in India could lower costs for students and open access to a large new learner base without requiring full overseas mobility.
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