We commission and carry out research in the field of English language teaching and learning; higher education policies and its market; and issues faced by young people in India, and make these available for researchers, academics and policy makers.
Our research and publications

Raising English Language Standards
You can access these here.
Higher Education Market Intelligence
- High University Enrolment, Low Graduate Employment: Analysing the paradox in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
- Higher Education in South Asia: Trends in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
- Skills Development in South Asia: Trends in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
- Understanding India: The future of higher education and opportunities for international cooperation
The above listed reports can be read here
5. The Indian States: Opportunities for International Higher Education Collaboration. It can be read here
6. Analysis of factors impacting gender parity in higher education in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Read here.
6. Inside India - a new status quo published by British Council Education Intelligence.
7. A Comparative analysis: Challenges and opportunities for large higher education systems - you can access this report from our downloads section towards the bottom of the page. You can also download country reports on higher education system of the UK, India, US, Nigeria, Indonesia, Russia, Pakistan, China and Brazil from the same section.
Research on Young People
Research on Skills Sector
The British Council and ILO have commissioned a joint discussion paper on Skills Assessment in India. The discussion paper seeks to highlight both the importance and the challenges facing the implementation of third party competence based assessment, which is a critical for ensuring quality in India’s rapid growing Skill Development sector. The research was conducted by the Research Base and the report was completed in August 2014.
You can access the report from our downloads section towards the bottom of the page.
Research on the School sector
Teaching and technology: case studies from India
Jointly published by British Council India and Central Square Foundation, this collection of case studies illustrates teachers and organisations using technology in innovative ways in classrooms across India. The 22 case studies show a wide range of hardware and software being used to improve learning for students and for teachers’ professional development. By highlighting this good practice, we aim to inspire future action by others to experiment with these innovations in similar context.
The school education system in India: An overview (July 2019)
India is home to the largest and most complex education system in the world. This report provides an overview of this system, including key facts and figures on the school sector, outlines of schooling at each level, language in education policy and practice, and teacher education. It also provides a brief history of recent education policies, main government initiatives since independence and details of the major national and international boards of school education. Recent successes and ongoing challenges in the education sector are also documented and discussed, making it of use to readers seeking to understand both the development of education in India since independence and its future trajectory.
View the report using our e-reader using the link above, or download the pdf below.