Dubai-based GEMS Education India, part of the Varkey Group’s GEMS Education, has announced its entry into India’s K-12 education market with an initial investment of up to $30 million over the next three to five years.

As part of the first phase of its expansion, the company plans to develop 21 GEMS-operated schools, with the first five campuses set to open for the 2026 academic year across Greater Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Rajasthan.

The schools will offer the CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) and ICSE/ISC (Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations) curricula. Over the longer term, GEMS aims to establish more than 30 owned-and-operated schools, build a nationwide network of over 1,000 GEMS Partner Schools, and set up a dedicated School of Education focused on teacher training, leadership development and educational research.

Beyond the initial five schools, GEMS plans to develop another 16 campuses over the next two years across eight states, expanding its existing network in Gurugram, Kochi and Lucknow. Projects are already underway in cities including Ghaziabad, Pune, Coimbatore and Raipur.

Beyond its owned-and-operated schools, GEMS India has also announced an asset-light expansion strategy through its “Mission 1000” initiative, which aims to establish a network of more than 1,000 GEMS Partner Schools across the country. The model will enable entrepreneurs, investors, corporates and existing school operators to leverage the GEMS brand, academic expertise and operational capabilities to strengthen high-quality schools at scale.

In parallel, GEMS India is exploring collaborations to establish a dedicated School of Education to support teacher training, leadership development and educational research.

To support its long-term educational infrastructure strategy, GEMS India is also setting up a Category II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) under the SEBI (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012. The fund will focus on acquiring quality school infrastructure and developing new campuses in locations where demand for high-quality education significantly exceeds supply. It is also expected to create co-investment opportunities for institutional and strategic investors seeking long-duration, inflation-protected and yield-generating exposure to India’s education sector.

Commenting on the announcement, Sunny Varkey, Founder and Chairman, GEMS Education, said, “Through our expansion plans, partnerships and investments in teacher development, we aim to make a meaningful contribution to India’s educational future and support the nation’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.”

Francis Joseph, India CEO, GEMS Education, said, “India is at a defining moment in its education journey. Rising aspirations among families, rapid urbanisation and growing demand for globally benchmarked learning experiences are creating significant opportunities. We aim to expand access to high-quality education while maintaining the standards that define the GEMS learning experience globally.”

Founded by Sunny Varkey, GEMS Education is one of the world’s largest private K-12 education providers. The group educates more than 200,000 students from over 176 nationalities across more than 10 countries through a network of schools offering multiple curriculum pathways.

Published on June 24, 2026