Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) will set up a campus in Indonesia. The announcement was made during Modi's visit to Indonesia and his joint press statement with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
The proposed IIMB campus will come up at the Singhasari Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Malang, Indonesia. It is expected to benefit students from Indonesia as well as the wider ASEAN region.
The campus will primarily cater to Indonesian nationals while also welcoming students from neighbouring Southeast Asian countries. “We are going to establish an overseas campus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore in Indonesia. This will greatly benefit young people across the ASEAN region”, said PM Modi.
Participants will also have opportunities for short academic immersion visits to the Bengaluru campus, providing exposure to India's innovation ecosystem, industry and business environment.
The establishment of the IIM Bangalore campus in Indonesia adds to the growing international presence of India's premier educational institutions. With overseas campuses already set up by Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad in Dubai, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi in Abu Dhabi and Indian Institute of Technology Madras in Zanzibar, India now has a couple of IIT and IIM campuses operating abroad.
The first ever overseas campus of IIM Ahmedabad was inaugurated in Dubai last year, marking a big leap towards globalisation. It offers a full one-year MBA program for experienced professionals.
Meanwhile, the IIT Zanzibar campus in Tanzania the first-ever international campus established by any IIT was established in the year 2023. The IIT Delhi-Abu Dhabi campus was inaugurated on September 2, 2024, after an agreement between India and the UAE.
The recent expansion reflects India's efforts to position its higher education institutions as global centres of learning, research and innovation. Although more overseas campuses are planned, most IITs and IIMs currently engage internationally through collaborations, student exchanges and executive programmes, with only a handful operating full-fledged campuses abroad.
This development is part of a broader strategy to internationalise Indian higher education. The new IIM Bangalore campus in Indonesia will help strengthen educational ties between India and Southeast Asia while providing high-quality management education to regional students.
The Singhasari SEZ location is expected to offer strategic advantages, combining academic excellence with proximity to regional business opportunities. Students will benefit from IIMB’s rigorous curriculum adapted to local and ASEAN contexts.
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India’s overseas campus initiatives demonstrate growing confidence in its premier institutions. These campuses not only attract international students but also enhance India’s soft power and global academic reputation.
As India continues to expand its education footprint, such partnerships are likely to create new avenues for collaboration in research, innovation, and skill development across regions.
The IIM Bangalore Indonesia campus represents a significant milestone in India’s journey towards becoming a global education provider, fostering mutual growth and knowledge exchange with partner nations.
