As Indian students face growing uncertainty at Harvard, Vedanta chairman Anil Agarwal says it’s time for India to build its own Ivy League.
Nearly 800 Indian students at Harvard are now caught in the crosshairs of a U.S. government crackdown. The Department of Homeland Security has revoked Harvard’s ability to enroll international students under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, starting with the 2025–2026 academic year. Those affected must transfer or risk losing legal status in the U.S.
Responding to the fallout, Agarwal posted a bold message on X: “Amidst global uncertainty, there is a big opportunity for India, beyond manufacturing. Higher education.”
With the West tightening access, he argued, India must act. “We should create Harvards and MITs in India,” he wrote, urging the country to stop depending on foreign institutions.
Agarwal announced that Vedanta is developing plans for a large-scale, not-for-profit, digital-first university on a waterfront site in Puri, Odisha. Built to global standards, the university will aim to attract world-class faculty and students from both India and abroad. Crucially, it will provide full financial support to students from underprivileged backgrounds.
“Land should not become a constraint for building large universities,” Agarwal emphasized. “The returns to society will be phenomenal.”
The U.S. decision stems from a standoff between Harvard and the Trump administration over campus protests, diversity policies, and alleged foreign ties. Federal agencies have pulled funding, and now international students face disruption as political pressure mounts on the university.
For Agarwal, the crisis is a catalyst. “Let us seize this opportunity to be a leader in knowledge and research,” he wrote.
