Ministry of Education approves University of Liverpool's Bengaluru campus

The Union Ministry of Education has granted approval to the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, to establish a branch campus in Bengaluru, Karnataka, as part of the government's efforts to expand the presence of foreign universities in India under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The letter of approval was presented by Higher Education Secretary and University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Vineet Joshi to Prof Richard Grose, Provost of University of Liverpool, Bengaluru.

The ceremony was attended by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron, among other dignitaries.

The Ministry of Education described the development as a key step in advancing the internationalization goals outlined in NEP 2020.

“In a significant step toward internationalization of higher education under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Ministry of Education today handed over the letter of approval (LoA) to the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, to establish its branch campus in Bengaluru, Karnataka,” the ministry said in a statement.

According to the ministry, the Bengaluru campus will initially offer undergraduate and postgraduate programs in business management, computer science, game design, finance, and biomedical sciences.

“It also plans to introduce additional disciplines in the coming years,” it added.

Officials said the new campus represents another milestone in the implementation of NEP 2020, which encourages global academic partnerships, international student mobility, and the establishment of foreign higher education institutions in India.

The ministry also highlighted the potential impact of the project on India-UK educational cooperation.

It said the “opening of Liverpool University Campus in India is expected to further boost the bilateral relations” between the two countries.

The University of Liverpool was issued a letter of intent by the UGC on May 26, 2025, under the UGC (Setting Up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023.

The ministry said the university subsequently completed the academic, infrastructure, and regulatory requirements needed to begin operations in India.

“Over the past year, the university completed the required academic, infrastructure, and regulatory preparations. It has now been granted the LoA to commence operations in India, following an assessment of its readiness and compliance with the provisions of the Regulations by the UGC,” it added.

The government said the entry of internationally recognized institutions into India is expected to provide students with more higher education options while strengthening global academic engagement.

“Opening of world-class institutions in India is expected to expand educational opportunities for students and deepen international academic cooperation,” the ministry said.