Historic British private schools are focusing their international expansion plans on India’s wealthy families as regulations tighten in China and new taxes on school fees emerge in the UK.

A historic British private school has opened a new international campus for girls in Mohali, near Chandigarh in northern India, joining a growing number of British education brands establishing themselves in the country.

The campus of Bedford School, Mohali, is a mix of modern academic blocks and architectural elements reminiscent of the school’s British heritage. The school opened its doors to its first pupils in April 2026, according to its website.

It is one of a growing number of top British private schools moving into India. Harrow School opened a campus in Bengaluru in 2023. Shrewsbury School is in Bhopal, and Wellington College has expanded into Pune.

Other British schools, including Millfield and Queen Elizabeth’s School, have reportedly looked at overseas campuses, but their plans and opening dates are yet to be confirmed.

The expansion taps into the growing demand among some wealthy Indian families for internationally recognised qualifications and an education model tied to Britain's long-established private schools. It also comes as overseas expansion becomes more complicated in traditional markets like China.

Demand from wealthy Indian families

In India, there is a long tradition of elite boarding schools modelled on the British public-school system. But rising wealth in sections of the population has created opportunities for international education providers looking for families prepared to pay for global curricula and wider educational experiences.

Caroline Pascoe, head of Harrow International School Bengaluru, said the international curriculum was a major attraction for many families.

Cambridge-based education is available across multiple age groups at schools including Harrow and Bedford, providing a route to internationally recognised qualifications, including A-levels.

Parents also favour schools that emphasise extracurricular activities, personal development and time-honoured traditions.

Harsimran Singh Kocchar, whose extended family runs a chain of schools in India, was drawn to Bedford Mohali for his five-year-old daughter Parineet because of its emphasis on character development, confidence and academic growth.

He also said he appreciated what he called a more equal school culture, where children of politically connected families would not get special treatment.

Another possible market is families with links to the Indian diaspora. Some parents who have lived abroad and returned, as well as non-resident Indians in countries such as the UK and those living in the Middle East, are seeking education that offers international opportunities and links to Indian culture.

British customs in Indian classrooms

Campuses abroad typically mirror the identity of the home institution but also incorporate local customs.

At Harrow Bengaluru, teachers are known as "Beaks", students wear traditional uniforms and hats and participate in school traditions such as the Long Ducker cross-country race. The school also has a house system, a feature of traditional British education.

These customs are in harmony with the Indian cultural practices. Students sing the Indian national anthem. Celebrate festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi.

In this way, schools can create their own educational identity while also operating in the cultural environment of India.

But whether these traditions translate into better academic results or better long-term opportunities for pupils is another matter, and one that requires evidence beyond the schools’ own descriptions.

India’s large school-age population and increasing number of affluent households make it an attractive market for international education players. But the change is also occurring in the midst of a shifting international business landscape.

British private schools have historically operated a fair number of overseas campuses in China and Hong Kong. In 2025, the UK-based Private Education Policy Forum (PEPF) said that 50 British private schools operated 151 overseas campuses in the 2024-25 academic year, with roughly half of them in China and Hong Kong. PEPF’s 2025 report captures the extent of this international expansion.

The report also details how increased scrutiny from governments and changes in regulation have made it harder to grow in some markets.

Another consideration for international education providers in China came with the introduction of a 2024 law requiring patriotic education across all school subjects. The changes led to some planned campuses being scrapped, forcing schools to look at alternative destinations, including India and Vietnam.

In the domestic sphere, a separate development has added to the pressure on British schools. As of 1 January 2025, private school education and related boarding services provided for a fee in the UK have been subject to the standard VAT rate of 20%. The policy was introduced by the UK government in an effort to raise money for the public. outlines the measure.

The tax change has led more British schools to consider international expansion, including those who had not previously looked overseas, founding principal of Bedford School Mohali, Naomi Atkins,

The tax change is one of the factors affecting the expansion decisions of the sector, but the impact on individual schools will depend on their finances, pupil numbers and existing international operations.

Financial risks in the competitive industry

A campus in India is not a guaranteed commercial success.

Many British schools operate overseas in partnerships with local investors or education operators. The British institution may provide its name, curriculum, expertise and educational framework, while its local partner manages or finances parts of the operation.

Revenue-sharing arrangements in India are less lucrative than in some other international markets. In some cases, she said, margins may have fallen to around 1% compared with arrangements that previously generated fees equivalent to 10% of revenue.

We need to get a better grasp on those figures, as revenue-sharing percentages and profit margins are not directly comparable metrics.

India also provides a more competitive environment than some markets where English-language education is not as established. International brands are facing a large number of competitors from local private schools that are already serving families looking for English language instruction and strong academic results.

Affordability is another hurdle. India has a huge school-going population. That said, only some percentage of homes can afford premium international education, especially where the package includes boarding.

"Indian families are generally more price sensitive than customers in some other markets where she has worked.”

In response, Bedford Mohali, according to the report, has set its fees at about half the level of some rival British schools. To make a precise comparison and know the total cost to families, the school’s published fee schedule would be needed.

Profits and the prospects for international expansion

Some British private schools have made giant profits from foreign campuses.

Over the period 2011–12 to 2022–23, 48 British private schools generated £152.4 million in profits from overseas satellite campuses, PEPF found. Annual profits jumped from £1.6 million in 2011-12 to £29 million in 2022-23.

The numbers show the financial benefits of going global, but they don’t prove that every campus is a money-maker or that the same results will continue.

India offers British schools a large potential market, with demand rising from some affluent families and opportunities to build international brands. At the same time, local competition, constraints on affordability, operating costs and the need to adapt to India’s educational environment could cap returns.

The success of these efforts over the long term will depend on whether schools can deliver an education that families feel is worth the cost while maintaining a financially sustainable model.

The size of the population won’t be the determining factor for winners in the sector, but India may become a bigger market for British private schools.