Indian Universities Abroad

Indian universities abroad are now a real option, with IIT Madras, IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad running full campuses in Zanzibar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and IIM Bangalore set to open in Indonesia. These offshore campuses award the same parent-institute degree, so an Indian student can hold an IIT or IIM credential while studying outside India.

• An offshore IIT or IIM degree carries the same brand and recognition as the India campus, not a diluted version.
• These campuses suit students who want global exposure plus a familiar Indian academic system and language.
• Admission routes differ by campus: some use JEE Advanced, others use a separate entrance test or GMAT.
• Fees run far higher than the India campus but often lower than a full Western degree once living costs are counted.

Read More: Foreign universities opening campuses in India

IIT Madras Zanzibar drew students from Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zambia and Kenya in its early batches, so the classroom is genuinely international rather than an India campus moved overseas.

For Indian students weighing a foreign degree, these campuses offer a third path between staying home and moving to the West.

Conversions based on a USD-INR rate of INR 95.38 as of July 07, 2026. Rates fluctuate; check the current rate before financial planning.

Which Indian Universities Are Abroad?

Several Indian universities abroad now run degree-granting campuses, led by two IITs, two IIMs and a cluster of private institutions. The public-institute push is recent, while private universities have operated overseas branches for years.

The government has backed this move to position India as a global education exporter. Until the IITs arrived, Indian private universities did most of the overseas expansion, and the first Indian branch campus was set up in Dubai around 25 years ago by Manipal. Source: British Council.

• IIT Madras runs the first-ever IIT campus abroad, in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
• IIT Delhi operates its Abu Dhabi campus, the second IIT abroad.
• IIM Ahmedabad launched its Dubai campus, the first IIM to expand overseas.
• IIM Bangalore is the newest, with an Indonesia campus announced in July 2026.
• Private names abroad include BITS Pilani, Amity, SP Jain, Symbiosis and Manipal, mostly in Dubai.

The public-institute entry began when IIT Delhi confirmed its energy-focused offshore courses, setting the template others now follow.

Key Insight: The UAE now hosts the densest cluster of Indian campuses, with IIT Delhi, IIM Ahmedabad, BITS, Amity and others all operating there. The large Indian diaspora and Gulf job market drive that concentration.

Most of these campuses started with a narrow set of programmes and plan to widen their course lists as permanent campuses are built.

IIT Madras Zanzibar

IIT Madras Zanzibar is the first international campus set up by any IIT, opened in 2023 in Tanzania. It offers full-time undergraduate and postgraduate degrees on a live campus, not an online or twinning model.

For the 2026 intake, the campus welcomed its fourth batch. Applications opened for both BS and M.Tech programmes, with the BS screening test held on 6 June 2026 at centres in India and abroad. Source: IIT Madras press release.

• BS in Data Science and AI and BS in Chemical Process Engineering are the flagship four-year degrees.
• An M.Tech track runs alongside, with its own screening test in April 2026.
• Around 51% of students came from Tanzania, with others from Ethiopia, Zambia and Kenya.
• A new hostel block at the permanent Fumba campus was inaugurated in January 2026.

Students have taken internships with firms such as SuperDoll, Zantel and Airtel, and the Airtel Africa Foundation has funded scholarships. If you want an IIT degree with an African and global cohort, this campus offers a distinct route.

IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi

IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi opened in January 2024 as IIT Delhi's first international campus and the second IIT abroad. It awards a full IIT Delhi degree, and its undergraduate programmes also hold UAE accreditation from the Commission for Academic Accreditation.

The campus currently runs from an interim facility at Zayed University in Khalifa City, with a permanent site planned. For the 2026 cycle it ran an outreach programme for candidates who cleared JEE Advanced 2026. Source: IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi.

• B.Tech streams include Computer Science, Energy Engineering and Chemical Engineering, with Electrical Engineering launching in 2026.
• An M.Tech or M.Sc in Energy Transition and Sustainability is offered at the postgraduate level.
• Indian nationals enter B.Tech through JEE Advanced, while other applicants use the CAET entrance test.
• The CAET test runs in the UAE, New Delhi, Singapore, Malaysia and Nepal.

IIM Ahmedabad Dubai

IIM Ahmedabad Dubai is the first IIM campus abroad, offering a one-year full-time MBA aimed at mid-career professionals. The first batch had 35 students, and admission runs through GMAT or GRE plus an interview.

The Dubai MBA keeps the same case-based teaching as the India flagship, but tilts toward global markets, cross-cultural business and the Gulf startup scene. The campus operates from a transit facility in Dubai's academic city, with a permanent campus planned within three to four years. Source: IIM Ahmedabad Dubai dean interview.

• Programme: one-year full-time MBA for experienced professionals.
• Entry: GMAT or GRE, resume, essays and an interview round.
• Focus areas: leadership, cross-cultural business and entrepreneurship in emerging markets.
• The campus links Indian startups with UAE investors through IIM-A Ventures.

If your goal is a global MBA with an Indian brand and a Gulf network, this was the first IIM option outside India.

IIM Bangalore Indonesia

IIM Bangalore will open its first overseas campus in Indonesia, announced on July 7, 2026, making it the second IIM to expand abroad. The campus will sit in the Singhasari Special Economic Zone in Malang and serve students from Indonesia and the wider ASEAN region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the plan during a delegation visit to Jakarta, and the campus will be set up through an MoU between IIM Bangalore and PT Intelegensia Grahatama, the zone's development entity. The rollout runs in two phases. Source: official government statement via India TV News and Indiablooms.

• Phase 1: executive education for senior executives, business leaders and public-sector professionals.
• Phase 2: degree-granting management programmes, after about two years, subject to phase 1 success.
• Curriculum themes: global supply chains, digital transformation, AI, climate and healthcare management.
• IIM Bangalore is ranked the second-best management institute in India by NIRF 2025.

This is an early-stage announcement, not an open admission. If you are tracking it, confirm each milestone on IIM Bangalore's official channels before making plans.

Fees at Indian Campuses Abroad

Fees at Indian universities abroad sit well above the India campus but often below a comparable Western degree once living costs are counted. The exact gap depends on the programme level and country.

An IIT Madras Zanzibar BS costs around USD 12,000 per year, while the same-level BS Data Science at the India campus totals roughly INR 9.4 lakh for the whole degree. The IIM Ahmedabad Dubai MBA is priced at USD 80,000, reflecting a premium global-MBA position. Source: official campus pages and IIT Madras fee data.

Accommodation and mess charges at Zanzibar are extra and vary by on-campus or off-campus choice. Indian students should budget a currency-depreciation buffer of 5 to 8%, since a weaker rupee raises the real cost of any dollar-denominated fee.

Education loans from named lenders such as HDFC Credila, Avanse, SBI Global Ed-Vantage and Prodigy Finance can fund these campuses, since the degree is from a recognised Indian institute. If the fee is dollar-linked, then a loan disbursed in rupees carries FX risk. That means your effective cost can rise between admission and final payment.

How to Apply to These Campuses?

Applying to an Indian university abroad starts with the right entrance route, which differs by institute. There is no single common form across these campuses.

• IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi B.Tech: Indian nationals apply through JEE Advanced; others use the CAET test.
• IIT Madras Zanzibar BS: a dedicated screening test held in India and abroad, no JEE needed.
• IIM Ahmedabad Dubai MBA: GMAT or GRE, then essays and an interview.

Typical document set

• Class 12 marksheet or bachelor's transcript, depending on the programme level.
• Valid entrance score (JEE Advanced, CAET, GMAT or GRE).
• English proficiency evidence where the campus requires it, such as IELTS or TOEFL.
• Passport and, for the UAE campuses, a student residence visa arranged after admission.

Key Insight: Unlike a Western application, there is no separate F-1 or study-permit interview here. The host country's student visa is arranged through the campus after you receive an offer, which removes one common rejection risk Indian students face abroad.

Deadlines move each cycle, so confirm the current dates on the campus admissions site before you plan test bookings.

Is the Offshore Degree Worth It?

The degree from an Indian campus abroad is the same qualification as the parent institute, which is the core of its value. A Zanzibar or Abu Dhabi IIT graduate holds an IIT degree, and a Dubai IIM graduate holds an IIM MBA.

The trade-off is a newer campus with a narrower course list and a permanent site still under construction. Faculty from the Zanzibar campus have presented at global conferences such as ICML, ICLR and IEEE events, which signals real academic activity rather than a nameplate operation. Source: IIT Madras.

• What a campus abroad gives you: an IIT or IIM brand, a global cohort and a Gulf or African job network.
• What it does not cover: the large alumni base, mature infrastructure and full course spread of the decades-old India campuses.

Analysts have flagged that offshore campuses take time to build reputation and mostly draw local and Indian students in early years, so the multicultural mix can be thinner than a top Western university. If brand plus lower relocation friction matters more to you than a decades-old campus, then the offshore route fits.

Who Should Pick a Campus Abroad

An Indian campus abroad works best for students who want a trusted Indian brand with international placement, not a Western migration path. It is a targeted choice, not a default one.

Surveys show most Indian students who go overseas plan to work and settle in the host country, and Western routes are built around that. These Indian campuses instead offer brand plus regional exposure, which suits Gulf or Africa career plans. Source: INTO University Partnerships survey.

• Good fit: students set on an IIT or IIM brand who also want to study outside India.
• Good fit: professionals targeting the Gulf market who value an Indian MBA with local ties.
• Weaker fit: students whose main goal is permanent residence in the US, UK, Canada or Australia.

For a full comparison of overseas study routes, see the full study abroad guides for Indian students.

Conversions based on a USD-INR rate of INR 95.38 as of July 07, 2026. Rates fluctuate; check the current rate before financial planning.

Indian universities abroad have moved from announcement to reality, with live IIT and IIM campuses now enrolling students each year and IIM Bangalore's Indonesia campus signalling more to come. For the right student, they combine a trusted Indian degree with genuine international exposure and, in the Gulf, a strong regional job market. The main cautions are premium fees, dollar-linked costs and campuses that are still maturing. Weigh the brand and location against the depth of the India campuses before you decide. Confirm every fee and deadline on the official campus site, since these programmes are new and details shift each cycle.