Sat Nov 16 10:07:53 UTC 2024: ## India Needs 2,500 Universities to Achieve 50% Higher Education Enrollment: NITI Aayog CEO

**Hyderabad, November 16, 2024** – India needs to significantly expand its higher education system to reach its full potential, according to NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam. Speaking at the Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad on Friday, he stated that the country requires a doubling of its universities, from the current 1,200 to 2,500, to achieve a 50% enrollment rate among the eligible age cohort. Currently, only 29% of eligible students are enrolled in universities, despite the addition of one university and two colleges per week over the past decade.

Subrahmanyam also highlighted India’s burgeoning digital infrastructure, calling it “the biggest laboratory in the digital world.” He cited the widespread adoption of digital identities and bank accounts, exceeding 120 crore and 120 crore respectively, as evidence of India’s digital transformation. This progress has fueled innovations like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which now accounts for 48-50% of global financial transactions.

Looking ahead, Subrahmanyam emphasized the importance of research and innovation in achieving the goal of a USD 30 trillion economy by 2047, surpassing both the US and China. He pointed to significant progress in infrastructure development, poverty reduction (25 crore people lifted out of acute poverty in the last 10 years), and the government’s strategic focus on areas like AI and semiconductors. He further stated that India is uniquely positioned to lead in climate change solutions by developing climate-friendly technologies from the ground up, rather than needing to retrofit existing Western infrastructure. NITI Aayog, he added, is actively working on formulating national visions, economic city plans, and agricultural transformation initiatives. Ultimately, Subrahmanyam expressed confidence in India’s trajectory towards becoming a global leader in innovation and technology.

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