Bridging the Global-Local Divide

India's higher education accreditation system faces significant challenges in aligning with global standards while addressing local institutional constraints. Despite being home to one of the world's largest higher education systems, only 30% of universities and 20% of colleges are accredited. Issues such as bureaucratic inefficiencies, low research output, outdated curricula, and weak international collaborations hinder India's global academic standing. This chapter examines the accreditation challenges faced by Indian universities, analyzing policy gaps, institutional resistance, and disparities between public and private institutions. Using secondary data sources, government reports, and global university rankings, this study presents recommendations for reform, including making accreditation mandatory, strengthening research and industry partnerships, modernizing curricula, and implementing AI-driven accreditation processes.