GIFT City Partners With Leading Higher Ed Firm To Bring Global Universities To India

The MoU, signed at GIFT City, outlines a framework for cooperation in areas such as the internationalisation of education, thought leadership, knowledge exchange, and ecosystem development. It sets the stage for joint engagements that would enhance GIFT City’s visibility on global academic and policy platforms, attract leading universities, and foster collaborative research and innovation.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanjay Kaul, IAS, the MD and Group CEO of GIFTCL, said, “At GIFT City, we see education and innovation as critical enablers of our long-term vision. Partnering with QS will help us bring global institutions to India, strengthen knowledge exchange, and create an environment where talent can thrive. This will reinforce GIFT City’s position as both a financial and tech hub, and a centre for world-class education and research.”

Jessica Turner, CEO of QS Quacquarelli Symonds, said, “Our partnership with GIFT City represents a bold step towards building a more connected and inclusive global education ecosystem. At QS, we believe the future of higher education will be defined by equitable collaboration — where knowledge, innovation, and opportunity flow in both directions. By working with GIFT City, we are helping to create a gateway for international universities to engage meaningfully with India, while also amplifying India’s unique strengths in talent, research, and innovation for the world.”

Ashwin Fernandes, ED of QS Quacquarelli Symonds, added, “QS is delighted to partner with GIFT City in its journey towards the internationalisation of higher education. Together, we aim to create impactful platforms for knowledge exchange, policy dialogues, and institutional collaborations, positioning GIFT City as a gateway for global universities into India.”

QS recently published its Global Student Flows report, projecting that India is expected to remain one of the world’s leading sources of outbound students, with sustained long-term growth of more than 3 per cent annually.”

While the government’s National Education Policy is expanding domestic capacity, demand for high-quality higher education, particularly in STEM and postgraduate programmes, continues to rise as India’s population grows and urbanises.

Innovative ecosystems like GIFT City complement and exemplify these efforts by offering international universities a platform to collaborate within India, creating new pathways for world-class research, innovation, and academic exchange.