From trade to talent: how the University of East London is powering UK–India partnership
As the UK–India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement is developed, the University of East London is placing higher education at the heart of the UK–India economic partnership, delivering vital skills, enterprise, and innovation – and the next generation of job creators as well as job seekers. At its best, international education is not simply a pipeline of talent, but a long-term partnership that strengthens both economies.
The landmark UK–India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement is a decisive and welcome step for a confident, outward-looking Global Britain. At the University of East London (UEL), we are proud of our longstanding ties with India and encouraged by the opportunities this agreement will bring. Our research collaborations, industry-aligned training, and employer partnerships help explain why 1 in 25 Indian students in the United Kingdom studies with us.
The government has been clear that deepening economic ties with India is central to achieving the highest sustained growth in the G7. India is projected to become the world’s third-largest economy by 2028, and by 2030 one in five global workers is expected to be Indian. For the UK, this represents not just a market opportunity but a generational skills partnership.
Yet trade deals do not deliver growth in isolation; they depend on institutions that can deliver on ambition. UEL is embedding employability and enterprise from the start of the student journey, equipping graduates not only to enter the labour market but to create opportunities within it.
International education already contributes £32bn in export revenue to the UK economy, with nearly £1bn generated through international campuses. As more UK universities establish a presence in India, the opportunity is clear. However, scale alone is insufficient. What matters is the model. International education must move beyond a purely transactional recruitment mindset towards long-term collaboration that creates value for students, employers, and both economies.
UEL’s Global Campus strategy offers a blueprint for international collaboration that serves both the global skills agenda and the UK economy. Our approach integrates employability and industry partnership from pre-arrival to post-graduation. In 2024, 841 master’s students undertook 30-week placements, generating an estimated £8.1m in social value.
Collaboration is central to this approach. Working with major employers such as Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys, we co-design skills pathways aligned to industry demand. Our sector-first India Industry Advisory Board ensures our curriculum reflects real labour market needs, while partnerships with organisations such as the National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK strengthen student support and employability. Our collaboration with IIT Madras and immersive innovation programmes in Hyderabad and Chennai, embed students in India’s dynamic research and start-up ecosystems.
Our new Chennai Careers Hub, developed with the Government of Tamil Nadu, will provide industry-led education, upskilling, and business incubation. It will support applied projects and employment pathways, helping young people move into work and enabling entrepreneurs to build future businesses. It also demonstrates how UK universities can embed within India’s growth while generating reciprocal value through research and trade links.
In an era defined by unparalleled technological change, the UK’s prosperity will depend on institutions capable of operating confidently across borders. That requires a shift from talent extraction to talent circulation – where skills, ideas and enterprise flow between the UK and India, strengthening both economies and sustaining lifelong connections between graduates and the countries where they study. The University of East London stands ready to play that role, placing education at the centre of a modern, mutually beneficial UK– India economic partnership – one that equips young people not only to find work, but to create it, driving inclusive growth in both nations.
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Lord Nagaraju
of Bloomsbury
Universities and the future of UK–India relations
Lord Nagaraju of Bloomsbury
As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes global collaboration, universities are becoming strategic bridges between talent, innovation, and policy between the United Kingdom and India – supporting innovation and contributing to the development of responsible AI frameworks for a rapidly changing world.
The UK–India partnership is entering a significant phase. As a member of the House of Lords, and someone whose professional life has been shaped by developments in AI, I see how technological change, talent flows, and shared values are bringing our two countries into closer alignment and creating new opportunities for collaboration.
For decades, higher education has been one of the enduring foundations of the UK–India relationship. The movement of students between our countries, the growth of joint research programmes, and the influence of alumni networks have created lasting intellectual and professional connections. Many graduates of UK and Indian universities now hold leadership roles across politics, business, science, and public life, strengthening ties between our societies in ways that complement formal diplomacy.
AI represents a further evolution in this partnership. Universities are well placed to act as trusted environments where advanced research can be developed, and where the next generation of researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs can be trained. This was reflected at the recent India AI Impact Summit in Delhi, where international leaders explored both the opportunities and responsibilities associated with AI. These discussions highlighted a shared interest in ensuring that AI is developed in ways that are both innovative and socially beneficial, particularly as rapidly advancing AI systems move from research into real-world deployment.
Institutions such as the University of East London illustrate how this collaboration can take practical shape. Through partnerships with industry, government, and academic institutions in India, universities are supporting the development of industry-aligned skills, applied research, and enterprise across areas including digital innovation, health technologies, and sustainability. In doing so, they are helping to connect education more closely with real-world economic and societal needs.
What is increasingly clear is that while the UK and India each bring distinct perspectives and strengths, there is growing strategic value in universities in both countries deepening collaboration in areas such as research, skills development, and innovation. In the context of AI, this includes contributing to emerging international approaches around governance, standards, and workforce development.
In an era increasingly shaped by AI, universities are playing an important strategic role. They cultivate talent, support shared values, and generate ideas that influence how new technologies are understood and applied. In this context, universities are not peripheral to the UK–India relationship – they are central to how it will be shaped in the years ahead.
