India clears path for global universities: Four campuses approved in Noida, Bengaluru, and Mumbai

Four global universities have been granted Letters of Intent (LoIs) to set up campuses in India, marking a major step in expanding international higher education opportunities under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan handed over the LoIs to Australia’s Western Sydney University (WSU), Victoria University, and La Trobe University and the UK’s University of Bristol during an event in New Delhi on July 29.

The announcement was made at the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam (ABSS), an event organized to mark five years since the launch of NEP 2020.

Addressing the gathering, Pradhan said that as many as 15 foreign universities are in the pipeline to establish their campuses in India.

“Of these, Australia’s Deakin University and University of Wollongong have already established campuses in Gujarat’s GIFT City, and the UK’s Southampton University in Delhi NCR’s Gurugram,” the minister said.

The new international campuses are planned across four Indian cities. Western Sydney University will be setting up in Greater Noida, Victoria University in Noida, La Trobe University in Bengaluru, and the University of Bristol in Mumbai.

WSU’s Greater Noida campus will offer undergraduate programs in business analytics and business marketing, along with postgraduate degrees such as MBAs in innovation & entrepreneurship and logistics & supply chain management.

The university is also partnering with Indian institutions, including the All India Institute of Ayurveda for integrative health research, the Ministry of Jal Shakti on groundwater management, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on food security, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) on neuromorphic engineering.

Victoria University’s Noida campus will offer undergraduate programs in business, data science, and cybersecurity, along with postgraduate options including an MBA and a master’s in information and technology.

In Bengaluru, La Trobe University is planning to offer undergraduate degrees in business (finance, marketing, and management), computer science (AI and software engineering), and public health.

It will also launch a Joint PhD Academy in partnership with IIT Kanpur, focused on health, water, and urban planning research.

The University of Bristol is expected to begin operations in 2026. It will offer integrated undergraduate-to-master’s programs, exchange opportunities, and joint research in artificial intelligence, design, and digital technologies.

These efforts will be carried out in collaboration with Mumbai’s ATLAS SkillTech University and through a “3+1” pathway with Krea University in Sri City, allowing students to complete three years in India and one year in the UK for a master’s degree in fields such as innovation, policy, and analytics.

Speaking at ABSS, Pradhan emphasized the broader implementation of NEP 2020, highlighting that several states have initiated plans to introduce foundational education in students’ mother tongues.

“This reflects the true spirit of NEP 2020,” he said. He also noted the “paradigm shift” introduced by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) through the rollout of new-generation textbooks.

At the same event, the education minister announced new education projects valued at over ₹4,000 crore.

These initiatives include infrastructure development in schools under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, and Kendriya Vidyalayas.

The ministry also launched a series of digital initiatives to support learning and career development.

Among them is the TARA app portal, designed to assess and improve reading fluency among students in Classes 3 to 8 by evaluating metrics like words correct per minute (WCPM), phrasing, intonation, and stress.

Another tool, the My Career Advisor app, provides information on more than 1,000 career paths, detailing roles, educational qualifications, skills needed, and future prospects.