Vineet Gupta on Higher Education’s Role in Building Viksit Bharat

As India charts its ambition of becoming a Viksit Bharat, a developed, innovation-led economy, the conversation often gravitates toward infrastructure, manufacturing, and digital public goods. Yet, beneath all these pillars lies a more fundamental driver of long-term national progress: the quality and direction of higher education.

Higher education does more than produce degrees. It determines whether a country creates skilled workers or original thinkers, technology adopters or technology leaders. In that sense, universities are not just academic spaces; they are nation-building institutions.

From Access to Quality: The Next Phase of India's Education Journey

Over the last two decades, India has significantly expanded access to higher education. According to government data, India today has one of the world's largest higher education systems, with thousands of universities and colleges enrolling over 40 million students. Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) has steadily improved, reflecting broader participation.

However, access alone does not translate into national capability. The next phase of India's education journey must focus squarely on quality, on what students learn, how they learn, and how well that learning prepares them for a rapidly changing economy.

Vineet Gupta, Founder of Ashoka University and Managing Director of Jamboree Education, has consistently argued that quality emerges only when institutions place students at the center of their design. "If students are at the center of everything, they receive better knowledge, stronger academic opportunities, and the right skill sets to contribute meaningfully to society," he has said in earlier discussions with the media.

This shift from institutions designed around administration to institutions designed around learners, may appear subtle, but its impact on outcomes is profound.

Autonomy as a Catalyst for Excellence

One of the strongest predictors of educational quality globally is institutional autonomy. Universities that can independently design curricula, hire faculty, collaborate with industry, and invest in research tend to be more responsive to economic and technological change.

India has begun moving in this direction through regulatory reforms and differentiated governance models. Yet, Gupta cautions that autonomy must be applied evenly. "Autonomy has increased the quality of education, but it must be a level playing field," he notes. "The same principles should apply to Indian private universities and foreign universities operating in India."

As India opens its doors to international campuses, ensuring regulatory parity will be critical. Uneven rules risk distorting competition and weakening domestic institutions that are already investing in long-term academic capacity.

Research Capacity and the Knowledge Economy

A defining trait of developed economies is their ability to generate original knowledge. Research universities sit at the heart of this capability, translating academic inquiry into technological, economic, and social value.

India's research output has grown in recent years, but its overall research and development (R&D) spending as a percentage of GDP remains lower than that of global innovation leaders. Strengthening research ecosystems within universities through funding, faculty development, and interdisciplinary collaboration will be essential if India is to reduce dependence on imported technologies.

Institutions such as Ashoka University and Plaksha University reflect a newer model of private, not-for-profit universities that prioritize research alongside teaching. These institutions aim to combine global academic standards with Indian developmental priorities, creating spaces where inquiry and impact coexist.

AI Fluency: A New Educational Baseline

As artificial intelligence reshapes industries, the definition of employability itself is changing. Technical expertise alone is no longer sufficient. What students increasingly need is AI fluency - the ability to understand, use, and apply AI tools responsibly across disciplines.

This goes beyond computer science. Business students must learn AI-driven decision-making, policy students must understand algorithmic governance, and humanities students must engage with questions of ethics and bias. Universities that embed AI fluency into their curricula will better prepare graduates for leadership roles in an AI-enabled economy.

Policy estimates suggest that AI could contribute hundreds of billions of dollars to India's economy by the end of this decade. Whether India captures that value will depend not just on startups and corporations, but on how effectively universities adapt their teaching models today.

Scaling Quality Through New Learning Models

Achieving the national goal of significantly increasing higher education participation while maintaining quality will require new delivery models. Online, hybrid, and lifelong learning pathways are becoming essential, particularly for working professionals and learners outside major urban centers.

Distance and digital education, when designed well, can expand access without diluting academic standards. For a country with India's demographic scale, such flexibility is not optional, it is structural.

Philanthropy and Institution-Building

Another important trend shaping India's higher education landscape is the rise of philanthropy-led universities. Unlike purely commercial models, these institutions are built with long-term intent focusing on faculty excellence, scholarships, and research infrastructure rather than short-term returns.

Gupta has often pointed out that sustained philanthropic commitment allows universities to invest patiently in quality. "Quality education must not remain a privilege," he has emphasized. "It should become a right for all capable and aspiring students."

When paired with transparent governance and accountability, philanthropy-led models can complement public institutions and raise standards across the system.

Education as the Backbone of Viksit Bharat

The vision of Viksit Bharat is ultimately a human capital story. Roads, factories, and digital platforms matter, but it is educated, adaptable, and resilient citizens who determine whether those assets deliver long-term prosperity.

Higher education sits at the intersection of economic growth, social mobility, and global competitiveness. Strengthening it through quality, autonomy, research capacity, and future-ready skills may be India's most consequential investment.

As Gupta has observed, "Education is not just about degrees. It is about building institutions that prepare students to think, adapt, and lead in an uncertain world." For India's development ambitions, that insight may prove decisive.