The 2025-26 Budget must prioritize measures to empower private higher education institutions (HEIs) in India, ensuring enhanced quality, accessibility, and innovation. These recommendations align with India’s goal of becoming a global education hub by 2047.
Global Collaborations and Partnerships should be supported through financial incentives to foster tie-ups with top global universities, enabling student exchange, joint research, and faculty development. This will enhance global exposure and improve academic standards. Expanding private HEIs to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities should also be incentivized with land grants and tax benefits to decentralize quality education, promote regional development, and curb urban migration.
Funding must be allocated for private HEIs to achieve national and international accreditations, bolstering credibility and attracting global talent. Alumni Contributions should be encouraged through higher tax benefits for donations, creating a sustainable funding model. Additionally, the establishment of a higher education financing agency offering long-term, low-cost loans can facilitate infrastructure development and capital investments without overburdening operational budgets.
Inclusivity can be advanced by implementing a matching grant scheme where the government matches scholarships provided by private HEIs for meritorious and disadvantaged students. This would ease the financial burden on institutions while ensuring access to education.
Industry-academia collaboration must be incentivized with tax rebates for industries partnering with private HEIs on research, internships, and skill development. Grants for faculty development are crucial to enhance teaching quality and retain talented educators.
To encourage philanthropic contributions, the tax deduction limit for donations to private HEIs should be increased, boosting institutional funding and reducing reliance on tuition fees. Digital Transformation should be accelerated with grants for AI-driven learning platforms, virtual labs, and smart classrooms, modernizing education delivery for the digital economy.
A national campaign to promote endowment building through matching grants and tax exemptions can foster financial sustainability. A government-backed innovation fund will support private HEIs in developing academic programs, online platforms, and entrepreneurial ecosystems, fostering innovation and commercialization. Lastly, grants or tax benefits should be offered for green and sustainable campuses investing in renewable energy and eco-friendly infrastructure, aligning education with global sustainability goals.
These measures will enable private HEIs to play a transformative role in India’s higher education sector, contributing significantly to the nation’s economic growth and global competitiveness and realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
-Dr. Ramakrishnan Raman, Vice Chancellor of Symbiosis International (Deemed University)
