In a landmark development for India’s higher education landscape, 15 globally reputed foreign universities are set to open campuses across the country in the current academic year. The move comes under the sweeping educational reforms of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and reflects India’s ambitions to become a global destination for learning.
Announcing the development in New Delhi, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan emphasized that this initiative is central to India’s vision of becoming a knowledge powerhouse by 2047. “The presence of global institutions on Indian soil will create rooted yet futuristic opportunities for our youth and strengthen India’s role in shaping global citizens,” he said.
The announcement was made during a ceremony in which the University of Liverpool was handed its Letter of Intent (LoI) to establish a campus in Bengaluru. The UK-based institution becomes the second foreign university to receive formal clearance under the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations notified in 2023. The University of Southampton was granted approval in the previous year.
A Strategic Shift in Education Policy
The UGC has so far approved campuses for five international universities, with more than 50 applications currently under review. The new campuses will be spread across Indian cities and are expected to offer globally benchmarked programs, primarily in STEMB disciplines—Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Business.
These developments mark a significant departure from earlier policies that restricted foreign academic institutions from establishing full-fledged campuses in India. With the regulatory bottlenecks now removed, institutions from the UK, US, Australia, and other countries are expressing strong interest in investing in India’s academic infrastructure.
Liverpool’s Indian Campus: A Preview
The University of Liverpool’s Bengaluru campus is expected to commence undergraduate and postgraduate programs by August 2026. The initial offerings will include courses in business management, accounting and finance, computer science, biomedical sciences, and game design. University officials described the future campus as “research-intensive,” with a focus on addressing global and local challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration.
“India’s scale and diversity make it a compelling location for our academic expansion,” said a University of Liverpool spokesperson. “We are committed to creating a campus that serves as a hub of innovation, scholarship, and inclusive growth.”
Partnerships to Boost Research and Innovation
The LoI ceremony also witnessed the signing of multiple Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between foreign academic institutions and Indian organizations. These include agreements with AstraZeneca Pharma India, Dream11, YouWeCan Foundation, and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG).
These collaborations are expected to enhance research capacity, encourage industry-academic partnerships, and promote applied learning models. Experts say such alliances will be critical to fostering innovation ecosystems within the new campuses.
Addressing Brain Drain, Boosting Accessibility
Currently, only a small proportion of India’s estimated 40 million higher education students pursue studies abroad. The high costs of international education often restrict global exposure to a privileged few.
By enabling foreign universities to offer degrees in India at more affordable rates, policymakers hope to make global curricula more accessible, reduce educational brain drain, and elevate the overall quality of Indian higher education.
“This is not about replacing Indian institutions,” said a senior UGC official. “It’s about expanding options, setting benchmarks, and inviting healthy academic competition.”