State-led reforms key to strong higher education in India: CEA

New Delhi: The next phase of higher education reform in India must be led by states, said Dr Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Adviser to the government, on Wednesday.

Speaking at the CII Global Higher Education Summit in New Delhi, Nageswaran outlined key priorities for states, including a shift from control to stewardship, and the need to urgently address faculty shortages through mechanisms such as professors of practice. He noted that moving from input-based to outcome-based regulation, adopting an entrepreneurial approach in public administration, and financing institutions based on differentiated roles and outcomes can help scale the reforms.

Nageswaran also called for deeper industry engagement in curriculum design, research, and governance. “Industry can co-design curricula, offer credit-bearing internships, support applied research, share infrastructure, and participate meaningfully in governance,” he said.

“Collaboration between government, states, industry, and citizens can help India move from scale to leadership and emerge as a global hub for learning, research, and ideas,” the CEA added.

Nageswaran shared that India’s demographic and economic inflection point, structural shift in global higher education landscape.