The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore will establish its first overseas branch campus at the Singhasari Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Indonesia, marking a significant step in India’s efforts to internationalise higher education and expand the global footprint of its premier management institutions.
The announcement was made on Monday as part of the outcomes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Indonesia, where India and Indonesia signed a series of agreements spanning education, technology, healthcare, defence and trade. Among the key education initiatives announced was the setting up of the IIM Bangalore campus in Indonesia.
Addressing a joint press statement with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Prime Minister Modi said the overseas campus of the prestigious IIM Bangalore “will greatly benefit young people across the ASEAN region.”
According to the list of outcomes released by the Prime Minister’s Office, the branch campus will be established at the Singhasari SEZ, an education and technology hub in East Java that has emerged as Indonesia’s centre for international higher education collaborations.
The move aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which encourages leading Indian higher education institutions to establish campuses abroad while also facilitating the entry of reputed foreign universities into India. The initiative is aimed at enhancing India’s academic diplomacy, strengthening global partnerships and positioning Indian institutions as international education providers.
The proposed campus is expected to cater not only to Indonesian students but also learners from across Southeast Asia, expanding access to Indian management education in one of the world’s fastest-growing economic regions.
The announcement also reflects the growing education partnership between India and Indonesia. During the bilateral talks, both countries agreed to deepen cooperation in technology, research, digital public infrastructure and innovation, while also commemorating the “Tagore-Dewantara Year of Cultural and Educational Diplomacy” to mark the centenary of Rabindranath Tagore’s visit to Indonesia.
The IIM Bangalore campus forms part of a broader package of bilateral initiatives announced during the visit, including collaborations in artificial intelligence, telecommunications, space technology, healthcare, agriculture and critical minerals, underscoring education’s growing role in India’s strategic engagement with Southeast Asia.
