Pvt institutes zero in on Hyderabad

After NMIMS and XLRI, it is the Tata Institute of Social Sciences which wants to set up shop.

The education scene in Hyderabad is getting brighter by the day with private institutes of national repute finding their way into the city.

Soon after the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) of Mumbai and the Xavier Labour Relations Institute in India (XLRI) announcing their plans to set up campuses here, another private sector institute, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, is following suit.

A team from TISS met Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy on Tuesday and apprised him of the company's plans. TISS is keen to set up a campus in the city which would offer post-graduate courses in various disciplines besides research in applied social sciences.

Established in 1936, TISS is recognised as a deemed university by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The institute authorities are hoping to bring the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research to the city in the near future.

The Andhra Pradesh government plans to bring teaching institutions to the city, particularly those specialising in technology and management, to create a talent pool useful to sectors like IT and pharma. "This is intended to attract more investments in these areas," a government official said.

The XLRI, founded in 1949 in the steel city of Jamshedpur, is coming up with its own campus in Medak district, while BITS-Pilani is setting up its campus on the outskirts of Hyderabad. This campus is scheduled to start courses from the 2008-09 academic year. The government has said it would provide land for the NMIMS campus.

"These institutes exude a high degree of professionalism which is why the state government wants to invite them to start their courses in Hyderabad," the official said.

While all these high-profile institutes are eyeing Hyderabad for its well-established infrastructure and growth potential, Trichy-based Bharathidasan Institute of Management, Kerala, has decided to set up its campus in Tirupati.

Another private institute on the state government's radar is the Pune-based Symbiosis University, which is credited with 100 per cent placement. "We have received a positive response from the university regarding setting up its campus in Hyderabad," a government source said.

Meanwhile, efforts to provide around 100 acres near the city to Georgia Tech University, US "" which recently announced its plans to establish its campus here "" are in full swing. This would be the first foreign university to set up a full-fledged campus in India.

Both the state government and the university authorities are awaiting green signal from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, which is yet to make up its mind on allowing foreign varsities into the country.

The Centre also plans to set up an Indian Institute of Technology, a National Institute for Translational Research, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, and National Institute of Public Health in Hyderabad.