BENGALURU: GEMS Education (India), part of the Dubai-based Varkey Group which operates K-12 private school operators GEMS Education, unveiled its India expansion strategy, with an initial investment of up to USD 30 million over the next three to five years. The plan included the development of more than 30 GEMS-operated schools, 1,000 GEMS Partner Schools, and the establishment of a dedicated School of Education focused on teacher training, leadership development and educational research.“As part of its immediate growth roadmap, GEMS India has confirmed a pipeline of 21 GEMS-operated school projects. The first five schools are scheduled to open from the 2026 academic year across Greater Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Rajasthan. A further 16 campuses are planned over the next two years across eight states, adding to the organisation’s existing network of schools in Gurgaon, Kochi and Lucknow NCR. Definite plans are already underway in cities including Ghaziabad, Pune, Coimbatore and Raipur,” said a press release from the group. Schools will offer CBSE, ICSE, Cambridge and International Baccalaureate (IB) curricula.To support long-term educational infrastructure development, GEMS India is also in the process of setting up a dedicated Category II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) under the provisions of the SEBI (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012, it said. The fund will focus on acquiring quality school infrastructure and developing new campuses. Commenting on the announcement, Sunny Varkey, Founder and Chairman, GEMS Education, said, “Quality education remains the most powerful catalyst for societal transformation. Our commitment in India is rooted in the belief that every child, regardless of geography or background, deserves access to world-class learning opportunities.”