The University Grants Commission (UGC) has formally issued Letters of Intent (LoIs) to leading universities from the UK, USA, Australia, and Italy, allowing them to establish campuses in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai region.
The handover took place at a ceremony in Mumbai today, presided over by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, along with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, other deputy chief ministers, vice-chancellors of the participating universities, and various dignitaries and stakeholders.
Which five foreign universities will set up campus in India?
The universities receiving the LoIs include University of York (UK), University of Western Australia (UWA), University of Aberdeen (UK), Illinois Institute of Technology (USA), and IED Istituto Europeo di Design (Italy). Additionally, the University of Western Australia will also be establishing a second campus in Chennai.
When are the international campuses expected to start admissions?
The issuance of LoIs marks a significant step toward implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s vision for the internationalisation of higher education in India. With this, the recipient universities have received the official green-light to proceed with setting up their campuses in the country.
Sources told the Indian Express has learnt that following the handing-over of Letters of Intent (LoIs) by the UGC, the universities now have an 18-month timeline within which they are likely to announce admissions for a fresh cohort. It is expected that the admission cycle for most of these institutions will commence sometime before December 2026.
Earlier, two UK universities, the University of Southampton and the University of Liverpool — had announced their plans to open campuses in India. The University of Southampton will begin its first admission cycle this September at its Gurgaon campus, while the University of Liverpool is expected to start operations by September 2026 in Bengaluru.
Where will the universities be located?
The universities are expected to be set up in Navi Mumbai, as part of a planned International Education City near the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport. The initiative, led by the Government of Maharashtra with support from CIDCO (City and Industrial Development Corporation), aims to create a dedicated 5-km education hub, the first of its kind in India, where students can access world-class international education without leaving the country.
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In May, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis had announced that CIDCO plans to establish this ‘Edu City’ in Navi Mumbai, which will host campuses of foreign universities for the first time in India.
