The London School of Business and Finance (LSBF), a key member of Global University Systems (GUS), is planning to set up a physical study centre in India, Rathakrishnan Govind, global CEO of LSBF, told this newspaper. Located in New Delhi, the centre will be an active provider of face-to-face academic training.
LSBF currently operates a recruitment hub in India, headed by Sunil Gideon, facilitating admissions for Indian students to LSBF’s global campuses and online programmes.
Clarifying that it won’t be a full-fledged campus – as some foreign universities are setting up in India – Govind said that while full campus rollouts require deep capital outlays, LSBF is adopting an agile, hybrid presence. “We are hoping to do it as quickly as possible, hopefully within a year,” he said.
Rather than isolating students locally, the study centre will anchor a unique multi-country ‘immersion and progression pathway’ model. “Under this model, Indian students can commence specialised modules domestically before completing their final academic blocks at LSBF’s campuses in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, or London.”
Hybrid Pathway
Gideon added that the institution’s academic layout is tailored towards corporate valuation, tech management, and deep risk frameworks for working professionals. “LSBF has entered into an academic collaboration with KPMG in India to roll out specialised professional certificates in data science and AI, and cybersecurity, offering industry-recognised co-certifications from tech bodies like NASSCOM and Palo Alto Networks,” he said.
“To capitalise on increasing M&A trends across India’s banking sectors, LSBF’s curriculum has a preparatory pipeline for the Chartered Valuer and Appraiser (CVA) Programme – a valuation standard delivered in tandem with the Institute of Valuers and Appraisers, Singapore (IVAS) and ACRA.”
NEP 2020 Blitz
LSBF’s India expansion comes amid a wave of global institutions entering the domestic market under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 framework. On June 10, the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued Letters of Approval to three other major foreign entities.
UNSW Sydney secured clearance for its international campus at Embassy Manyata Business Park in Bengaluru, while both the University of Bristol and the University of York received greenlights to anchor branch campuses in Mumbai. While these institutions focus on traditional multi-year degrees, LSBF’s lean, hybrid hub in Delhi offers a flexible, fractional-cost alternative for the country’s rapidly evolving corporate workforce.
