British have returned. This time, through school gates
British private schools are increasingly partnering with Indian firms to open franchise campuses across India. This trend leverages the prestige and heritage of historic UK institutions to appeal to Indian families seeking global education standards.
Why it matters
The expansion reflects a shift in the global education market and the enduring influence of colonial-era educational branding in modern India.
MUMBAI: In Gurgaon, a school carrying the name of Queen Elizabeth is preparing to open its gates. In Bengaluru, pupils already walk beneath the banner of Harrow. Pune has Wellington; Bhopal, Shrewsbury. In Hyderabad, Sagebrook, in partnership with Whitgift, has completed its first round of admissions. Another British grammar school, founded nearly five centuries ago, is now drawing up plans for Bengaluru. And Highgrove Education is going to Uttar Pradesh.The British have returned to India. This time, through school gates.There is no colonial officer at the blackboard. The new intermediaries are Indian education companies, real-estate developers and investment groups partnering with some of Britain's oldest schools."The transaction is wrapped in the language of global learning, leadership, heritage and international exposure," said an expert watching the sector. But what is being imported is not merely a curriculum.
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