NEW DELHI: British PM Keir Starmer Thursday announced a major expansion of UK universities in India, with University of Lancaster and University of Surrey getting approval to open campuses. The move, part of Starmer’s trade mission to Mumbai, aligns closely with India’s NE, which encourages entry of top foreign universities.He said the expansion was projected to add nearly £50 million to the UK economy, reinforcing higher education as one of Britain’s biggest exports. International education brought in over £32 billion in export revenue in 2022, nearly £1 billion of which came from overseas campuses. “I’m delighted that more Indian students will benefit from a world-class British education while we strengthen ties and support jobs at home.” University of Southampton became the first to open a campus in Gurgaon this year. It will soon be joined by universities of York, Aberdeen, Bristol and Liverpool as well as Queen’s University Belfast and Coventry University – all planning branch campuses in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Gujarat’s GIFT City. “Opening new campuses in India shows the global appeal of British higher education and delivers real returns for our universities at home,” said UK education secretary Bridget Phillipson. tnn