With support from Singapore’s Temasek and launched by film director Ronnie Screwvala, the firm offers online executive education and MBA programs in collaboration with over 80 colleges in ten different countries.
UpGrad Expands Global Partnerships
As fewer students choose to study in the United States and the United Kingdom because of visa limitations and financial barriers, edtech firm upGrad is looking into new university partnerships in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, according to a senior executive.
With support from Singapore’s Temasek and launched by film director Ronnie Screwvala, the firm offers online executive education and MBA programs in collaboration with over 80 colleges in ten different countries.
Enrolling students in online courses and assisting them in moving to foreign universities to finish their degrees generates income for UpGrad.
UpGrad Targets APAC Expansion
Several of the best universities in the US and the UK have established campuses in Singapore, Malaysia, and Dubai. Because geopolitical concerns limit enrollment in U.S. and U.K. institutions, we have also begun moving in that direction,” Praneet Singh, assistant vice president for UpGrad’s Study Abroad business, told Reuters.
Without providing any information on the associated investment, Singh said, “We are aggressively growing to the Middle East and APAC, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia.”
UpGrad Expands Study Abroad
The change in approach coincides with a decline in applications to US institutions as a result of the Trump administration’s policy reversal, which tightened restrictions on students’ social media presence and visa term.
According to Singh, UpGrad is considering partnerships with institutions in Vietnam, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, as well as Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon, Birmingham, and Middlesex, which have campuses in Dubai or Doha.
Decline In US Enrollment
Due to its excellent employment possibilities, research opportunities, and greater incomes than back home, the United States has long been the top option for Indian students. Singh said that fewer work opportunities and more visa requirements are altering that.
Due to geopolitical concerns and increased desire for more inexpensive educational destinations, the percentage of Indian students traveling to the United States fell from 60% in the fiscal year 2025 to 47% in the fiscal year 2025, according to an upGrad poll.
According to Singh, that pattern has persisted this year.