The pre-budget recommendations of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) suggested the finance ministry to allow the higher education institutions to invest their surpluses in alternative investment funds and other asset classes. This investment by universities is believed to bring greater transparency and better governance practices in the system.
Furthermore, it is believed that the involvement of the knowledge economy along with internationalization and massive human capital will usher India with great reforms in its education sector.
Statistically, FICCI explains that the total revenue initiated by the higher education of India has been estimated to be ₹1 lakh crores which constitute approximately 20% of the overall size of charitable institutions. Out of this, approximately ₹5 lakh crores, as per the records of 2017-18, has been estimated as the total operating expenditure.
Additionally, it says that there is a remarkable surplus generated in the higher education system each year which amounts to around ₹15,000 crores. However, the higher education system of India is facing constraints for investing surplus funds. As of today, the real estate gets most of the available funds and there exist transparency issues in these investments.
The Industrial Body, states that the higher education institutions have been investing at the global level in order to increase the additional income including various asset classes such as domestic and foreign equity, alternative investment funds, real estate, and infrastructure investment trusts. They also claim that these investments have led to higher returns and growth of endowment funds of the institutions.
