IIFT to open its first overseas campus in Dubai, receives govt approval
News Mania Desk / Piyal Chatterjee / 16th May 2025
The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), operating under the commerce ministry, is poised to launch its inaugural international campus in Dubai, after receiving endorsements from several ministries and the University Grants Commission.
On Friday, IIFT announced the relocation, stating it has obtained approvals from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the UGC. The Dubai campus, awaiting final approvals from the UAE, intends to serve the Indian diaspora and global students while bolstering India’s academic footprint in the Gulf area.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the development “truly reflects the spirit of the National Education Policy 2020, marking a new chapter in the internationalisation of Indian education and its growing role in shaping thought leadership globally”.
The Ministry of Education clarified, “There shall be no diversion of faculty, academic infrastructure, or financial resources from IIFT’s New Delhi campus to the Dubai centre,” ensuring the domestic institution remains unaffected.
Established in 1963, IIFT provides professional education focused on international business. It currently offers a range of long-term programmes, including an MBA (International Business) and a PhD in management at its Delhi and Kolkata campuses.
IIFT’s growth comes after the 2023 launch of IIT Madras’ inaugural offshore campus in Zanzibar, Tanzania—India’s first international IIT location. The initiative provided Data Science and AI courses to learners from Zanzibar, Tanzania, Nepal, and India. Additional campuses are being planned in the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the UK.
Private institutions in India have also expanded internationally. The SP Jain School of Global Management operates campuses in Dubai, Singapore, and Sydney, whereas the Vellore Institute of Technology opened its Dubai campus in 2017, providing engineering, business, and tech programs.
