Across 30 villages in Tamil Nadu, more than 14,000 adults were screened for diabetes through a collaboration between Scottish researchers and Indian clinicians. In Gujarat, a biotechnology education partnership has helped graduates take their first steps towards entrepreneurship. And in Bengaluru, Indian and UK students completed industry training through Biocon Academy earlier this year, combining university study in Scotland with practical experience in India’s thriving biotechnology sector.
Scottish and Indian researchers are also working together to protect coastal wetlands and mangrove ecosystems, supporting sustainable development and strengthening resilience to climate change.
These are the kind of connections already being built between Scotland and India: Research reaching rural communities, education supporting innovation, collaboration strengthening climate resilience and shared expertise developing the next generation of biotechnology professionals. They show what happens when education becomes the foundation for a lasting economic relationship.
Scotland’s relationship with India has an opportunity to move into a new phase: one in which closer economic ties are matched by deeper collaboration in education, research and innovation. Realising that opportunity requires us to connect the people and institutions that will turn shared ambitions into impact.
Education belongs at the heart of our engagement with India. The relationships formed through universities and colleges can underpin industrial partnerships, connect businesses with expertise, and develop the capabilities on which future growth depends.
Scotland’s approach begins with openness to international talent. The Scottish Government has confirmed it will not introduce a levy on international student income, recognising the importance of remaining globally competitive and welcoming people who want to contribute to our society and economy.
This commitment is reinforced by practical support. Scotland’s Migration Service helps international students explore their post-study options and supports employers navigating the requirements for recruiting international talent, including those on student or graduate visas.
Together, these measures strengthen Scotland’s capacity to innovate. For India, these connections create opportunities to access research expertise, build professional networks, and develop new ideas with trusted partners.
There is already a strong foundation for deeper cooperation. Scotland’s National Innovation Strategy prioritises energy transition, health and life sciences, data and digital technologies, and advanced manufacturing. India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission, BioE3 biotechnology policy, and IndiaAI Mission demonstrate ambitions in closely related fields. The challenge now is to connect these ambitions through partnerships that neither institutions nor businesses could deliver as effectively alone.
In clean energy, technological advances must be matched by ability in financing projects and bringing systems into operation. In life sciences, promising research requires clear pathways through testing, manufacturing and adoption. Universities contribute specialist knowledge while industry brings operational experience and market understanding.
These complementary strengths should shape the next generation of educational partnerships. Where do employers need deeper understanding? Which research challenges would benefit from combining capabilities? How can institutions develop programmes together that respond directly to these needs?
The India–UK Vision 2035 provides an important framework for answering these questions, linking education and skills with technology, research, growth and clean energy. For Scotland, this creates an opportunity to build relationships that extend beyond individual exchanges: programmes delivered across borders can strengthen institutional connections, while collaborative research can establish enduring partnerships between academic teams and businesses.
The success of these initiatives will depend on how they are developed. Indian partners can play a meaningful role in setting priorities, shaping delivery, and evaluating outcomes. Education and research collaborations should strengthen local capability and respond to the context in which their work will be applied.
That same principle matters to Scotland. Working with India gives our institutions and businesses opportunities to learn from different approaches, engage with world-class industrial expertise, and investigate challenges in new settings. Partnerships built on mutual benefit and shared learning provide the strongest foundation for long-term success.
Ultimately, it is people who sustain these connections. Graduates can introduce employers to research partners, create new enterprises, and maintain professional relationships that span borders. The impact of international education, therefore, extends far beyond the years of studying, continuing throughout careers in Scotland, India, or around the world.
The Scottish government’s role is to create the conditions in which these relationships can flourish. Scotland’s International Education Strategy explicitly supports international partnerships and the growth of transnational education. Our engagement with India presents a significant opportunity to advance these objectives alongside wider trade and investment priorities.
The real measure of success, however, will be what follows: Programmes developed jointly, research translated into impact, and businesses gaining the proficiencies needed to grow. Progress depends on sustained engagement long after meetings, missions and visits have concluded.
Scotland and India have the expertise, talent, and ambition to achieve far more together. The task now is to build the partnerships that put those strengths to work, creating new opportunities for innovation, growth and shared prosperity, and equipping the next generation with the knowledge, networks, and skills to shape the future of both countries.
(The views expressed are personal)
This article is authored by John Swinney, First Minister, and Rachel Sandison, Trade and Investment Envoy for International Education, Scotland.
