New Delhi: The United Kingdom (UK)-based University of Bristol and three Australian universities—Western Sydney University, Victoria University, and La Trobe University—received formal approval Tuesday from the Ministry of Education to establish campuses in India.
These universities were presented with Letters of Intent (LoIs) by the University Grants Commission (UGC) during an event held Tuesday at the Bharat Mandapam here to mark five years of the National Education Policy (2020).
The NEP 2020 envisaged allowing top foreign universities to establish campuses in India. So far, the UK’s University of Southampton and University of Liverpool had received LoIs under the University Grants Commission’s 2023 regulations on foreign higher educational institutions establishing campuses in India.
While the University of Southampton has officially inaugurated its campus in Gurugram, the University of Liverpool will start its campus in Bengaluru next year.
The University of Bristol will establish its campus in Mumbai, while the Western Sydney University will set up a campus in Greater Noida. Victoria University will set up campuses in Noida, and La Trobe University in Bengaluru.
According to a statement issued by the University of Bristol, which is ranked 51st in the QS World University Rankings 2026, the initial undergraduate and postgraduate programmes will focus on areas of global distinction for the university including data science, economics, finance and investment, immersive arts, and financial technology.
It then plans to expand into computer science and Artificial Intelligence, as well as business and management. The university’s campus will start functioning in the summer of 2026. It also plans to offer scholarships.
Also Read: After UK’s University of Southampton, 5 more foreign varsities planning campuses in India
‘Pivotal moment’
Professor Evelyn Welch, the vice-chancellor and president of the University of Bristol, said, “We are absolutely delighted to announce our intention to establish a new campus in Mumbai. This marks a pivotal moment in our 150-year history and reflects the globally inclusive future we are proud to build through partnership. Developing an in-country presence has long been part of our international strategy and supports our ambition to be a top 50 global university.”
On the 5th anniversary of NEP 2020, UGC issued Letters of Intent to 4 leading UK & Australian universities to set up campuses in India at the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam, 29 July 2025.
A milestone in India’s global education push under NEP 2020. #5YearsOfNEP2020 #NEP2020… pic.twitter.com/E2XiHdNJiX
— Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) July 29, 2025
Australia’s Western Sydney University’s Greater Noida campus will offer undergraduate programmes such as a B.A. in Business Analytics and a B.A. in Business Marketing. It will also offer postgraduate programmes including an MBA in Innovation & Entrepreneurship and an MBA in Logistics & Supply Chain Management.
Victoria University’s proposed campus in Noida will offer undergraduate programmes in Business, Data Science, and Cyber Security. At the postgraduate level, it will offer an MBA and a Master’s in Information Technology.
“Victoria University has a strong offshore presence in China, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka, and is known for applied research in sports science, business, and IT,” the education ministry said in a statement.
La Trobe University’s India campus in Bengaluru will offer undergraduate programmes in Business—with specialisations in finance, marketing, and management—along with Computer Science, focusing on Artificial Intelligence and Software Engineering, as well as a programme in public health.
The campuses of these three Australian universities are expected to be established in India between 2026-2027.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
Also Read: UK’s University of Southampton is coming to Gurugram, 1st foreign university in India under UGC