Anil Agarwal revives vision amid global education shifts as Vedanta plans world-class university in Puri

THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, MAY 26, 2025

In a bold reaffirmation of its commitment to higher education, Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal announced plans to establish a world-class, not-for-profit university in Puri, Odisha. With global uncertainties reshaping the academic landscape, the initiative is being positioned as India’s opportunity to emerge as a new hub for international-caliber higher education.

Sharing his vision on social media platform X, Agarwal wrote: “Amidst global uncertainty, there is a big opportunity for India beyond manufacturing — higher education. The West is closing its doors. The 800 Indian students at Harvard are facing this unfortunate circumstance. We should create Harvards and MITs in India.”

The proposed institution, to be located near the scenic waterfront of Puri-Konark Marine Drive, will be a digital-first university, attracting top-tier faculty and students from both India and abroad. Importantly, it aims to be inclusive and accessible, with full financial support offered to students from underprivileged backgrounds.

“Land should not become a constraint for building large universities. The returns to society will be phenomenal. Let us seize this opportunity to be a leader in knowledge and research, occupy the space other countries are letting go of,” Agarwal emphasized.

This announcement revives a project nearly two decades in the making. In July 2006, Vedanta Limited had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Odisha government to develop a university on over 4,000 acres of land in Puri district. However, the project faced legal and social hurdles, particularly around land acquisition.

In 2010, following protests by displaced families and a case filed in the Orissa High Court, the project was derailed when the court ruled that the land acquisition process violated Section 40(1)(a) of the Land Acquisition Act. Vedanta and the Odisha government appealed the decision in the Supreme Court. But in April 2024, the apex court upheld the high court’s verdict, effectively halting the original plan.

Despite the setback, Vedanta’s vision for a transformative educational institution has endured. Speaking at the Utkarsh Odisha: Make-in-Odisha Conclave in January this year, Agarwal reiterated the group’s interest in setting up a world-class, not-for-profit university and confirmed Puri as the preferred location.

The timing of Vedanta’s renewed push could prove fortuitous. With international student mobility disrupted — including a recent decision by U.S. authorities to revoke Harvard’s authorization to enroll international students under the SEVP — India is being called upon to build domestic alternatives to elite foreign institutions.