Edtech firm upGrad on Tuesday announced that it has forayed into the Pacific region with the first-ever fully offline medical institute in the Republic of Vanuatu with an initial investment of $10 million.
     
The company plans to set up three medical institutes in the region.
     
upGrad Co-founder and Chairperson Ronnie Screwvala said that Vanuatu is at the centre of the educational revolution which also makes it a business-ready geography for us.
     
Vanuatu, a country in Oceania, is a South Pacific Ocean nation consisting of nearly 80 islands.
     
"We have a strong presence in Australia, and this move in Vanuatu, which shares proximity with Australia and New Zealand, will be a critical piece in strengthening our South Pacific footprints," Screwvala said.
     
upGrad's Institute of Medical Sciences (UIMS), a fully offline campus in Vanuatu, aims to attract and train global talent with modern-day clinical competencies and build the next crop of skilled medical practitioners, the company said in a statement. 
     
The company said UIMS is expected to invite enrolments from the second half of June this year.
     
"This initiative is a part of our multi-campus strategy where we aim to set up at least 3 medical schools in the Pacific region along with a few more in select geographies," upGrad's Head of corporate development and M&As Gaurav Kumar said in a statement.
     
UIMS will also encourage talent mobility in the region.
     
The development follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 12-point development agenda for the Pacific Island nations while making healthcare, renewable energy, and cyber-security the focus areas of development, the statement said.