Ask how many international schools India has and you will get several answers. ISC Research, the data provider most often quoted, counted 972 in January 2025. Cambridge reports over 820 Cambridge schools in India. The International Baccalaureate lists 271 IB World Schools. The schools' own association puts the mature count at 900 to 1,000. None of these is wrong. They count different things, and a school can appear in more than one of them, so the figures cannot be added. This article sets the figures side by side, says what they do and do not show, and sets out the route a promoter or investor follows to open one.
What each source counts
The table below sets out the main published figures. They are not additive, because a school can hold several affiliations. The association's chair also cautioned that point-in-time snapshots can mislead.
| Source | What it counts | Figure | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISC Research | K-12 international schools in India | 972, with 26 more planned. Reported as 884 in 2019, a rise of about 10% | Jan 2025 |
| ISC Research, via ICEF Monitor | International schools worldwide | 15,075 schools, 7.7 million students, US$69.3 billion in fees. India's count up about 2%; the India total is not given | Feb 2026 |
| Cambridge University Press & Assessment | Cambridge schools in India | Over 820. 53% in Tier 1 cities, 47% in Tier 2 and 3 | Sep 2025 |
| International Baccalaureate | IB World Schools in India | 271 (the page carries no date). The IB's India and Nepal development manager reported 204 in Feb 2023 | Undated; earlier Feb 2023 |
| TAISI (the Association of International Schools of India) | Member schools; chair's view of the sector | About 300 members. Chair puts the mature count at 900 to 1,000, and an ideal at 1,200 to 1,300 | Sep 2025 |
Two cautions. First, the pages we read do not state ISC Research's inclusion criteria, so we cannot say what makes a school "international" in its count. Second, the "1,000" that Cambridge announced in July 2025 covers South Asia, not India; India holds more than three-quarters of those schools, according to Asia Education Review. Quoting it as an Indian figure would overstate the count.
Use a range and name the source. If you are valuing a site or a brand partnership, ask which definition the number rests on before you rely on it.
Growth is steady, and it is local
ISC Research's January 2025 data put the world total at 14,833 schools and 7.4 million students, with fee income of US$67.3 billion. The 2026 release put it at 15,075 schools, 7.7 million students and US$69.3 billion. ICEF Monitor's reading of the 2026 data is that expansion is now driven more by local demand than by expatriate families. For India, the school count rose about 2%, against an earlier rise of about 10% over the five years from 2019, as reported from the ISC data.
ISC Research's India field research manager has said that more Indian families, along with expatriates and NRIs, are choosing international schools. Globally, students and fee income rose faster than the school count between the two releases. We have no India-only figures for students or fees.
A slow school count alongside rising local demand may favour larger, better-capitalised campuses and operators who add capacity within existing schools. It does not suggest an open field for every new entrant.
Where the activity is
Reporting of the ISC data shows Maharashtra with the most schools linked to IB or IGCSE programmes, at 210, followed by Karnataka, with Tamil Nadu and Telangana catching up. Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi are drawing investment from international school chains.
The boards describe a spread beyond the metros. Cambridge says 47% of its India schools are in Tier 2 and 3 cities. The IB's India and Nepal development manager said in 2023 that the IB had been expanding into Tier 2 and 3 towns since 2018.
The spread is real, but the constraint outside the metros is what local families will pay. We did not find a reliable public dataset on fee capacity by town. Test it on the ground, with enquiries and fee surveys, before committing land or a licence.
How operators are entering: the GEMS example
A recent public example is GEMS Education. Reports in 2026 say it plans to invest up to US$30 million in India over three to five years, with 21 GEMS-operated projects in the pipeline, the first five opening from the 2026 academic year. Reporting differs: one account refers to 21 schools and another to more than 30. The reported model combines owned campuses with a network of more than 1,000 partner schools, and AGBI describes build-to-suit campuses, school transformation and collaboration with existing operators.
We have written about the same pattern in how international school groups gain a foothold in India and about the licensing route in bringing a British school brand to India.
This is one operator's reported plan, so we treat it as a signal, not a rule. It suggests that a landowner or an existing school can approach a brand as a partner, not only as a buyer.
The route to opening one
We found no separate legal category called "international school" in India. A school is set up under state law, and the state's permission comes first. The founders then choose a curriculum and apply to the board for authorisation. TAISI's chair describes this order: state permission, then the choice of curriculum. Only a minority of international schools also hold CBSE or ICSE affiliation.
- Choose the owning entity. In general, schools in India are run on a not-for-profit basis, through a trust, a society or a Section 8 company. See Section 8 vs trust vs society and our note on whether a private limited company can own a school.
- Secure the state's permission. Requirements differ by state. Ask counsel what the state expects on land, buildings, staff and fee approvals before you buy a site.
- Pick the curriculum and check its authorisation process. The IB and Cambridge each set their own requirements. Read the current criteria on the board's own site and confirm them directly with the board.
- Check the Right to Education quota. The Supreme Court upheld the 25% reservation for children from weaker and disadvantaged groups in April 2012. It applies to unaided non-minority schools, and unaided minority schools are exempt, as PRS Legislative Research summarises the ruling. Whether it applies to a given international school depends on how the state treats that school, so take advice on it early.
- Decide how to fund and brand it. The options are an owned build, a licence from an established brand, or a management arrangement. See how education deals are structured and why private equity is buying school chains.
Sequence matters more than speed. Fix the entity and the permission route first, because the curriculum and the brand both depend on them. We have not set out costs or timelines here, because we found no reliable public figures for them, and they vary by state and board. The British school brand guide covers the cost side of one route.
Common questions
How many international schools are there in India?
Which curriculum has the most international schools in India?
Who approves an international school in India?
Planning to open or partner with an international school?
MAS Advisory is partner-led, start to finish. Talk to us before you buy land or sign with a brand.
Sources: ISC Research (January 2025 data); ICEF Monitor, 25 February 2026, citing ISC Research; Cambridge University Press & Assessment, as published by Careers360 (13 September 2025) and Asia Education Review (23 July 2025); International Baccalaureate, India page, and Careers360 interview (18 February 2023); TAISI chair interview, Careers360 (22 September 2025); B2B Local report on ISC Research India data; Deccan Herald and AGBI reports on GEMS Education's India plans (2026); PRS Legislative Research on the Supreme Court's April 2012 RTE judgment. Figures are as published by each source and are not additive. We did not verify costs or approval timelines. General guidance only. We do not give tax or legal opinions; confirm current requirements with qualified counsel before acting.