New Delhi: India will need to add 86.11 million enrolments in higher education by 2035 to achieve the New Education Policy (NEP) target of a 50% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), according to a new report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Grant Thornton Bharat. The projection represents an 85% rise from current student numbers and requires a sustained 5.3% annual growth in higher education capacity.
The report, titled Continuous Improvement Journey of Higher Education Institutions: Approaches and Practices Shaping the Future of Learning, notes that traditional campus-based institutions—while essential—will not be sufficient to meet the massive scale of expansion required over the next decade. It emphasizes the need for technology-driven and flexible learning models, including digital universities, virtual learning ecosystems, and credit-based online programmes that extend opportunities beyond physical campuses.
The findings are based on three roundtables with universities in northern India, supported by extensive secondary research. The report highlights that nearly 40% of core job skills are expected to change by 2030, making employability a central design element in modern higher education. Institutions are therefore incorporating micro-credentials, modular credit systems, work-integrated learning, AI-supported assessments, and deeper industry partnerships.
As technology, globalisation, and rising learner expectations reshape the education landscape, higher education institutions are adopting flexible academic structures, improving stakeholder experience through participatory governance, and enhancing efficiency with workflow automation and policy reforms.
The report stresses that transforming higher education in India has become an operational necessity, not just a policy vision. It concludes that the national conversation is shifting from ensuring access to building scale, quality, and future-ready learning systems.
