Five international universities receive letters of intent to set up campuses in Navi Mumbai

In a major boost to India’s higher education ambitions, five foreign universities have been awarded Letters of Intent (LoIs) to establish full-fledged branch campuses in Navi Mumbai’s upcoming Education City.

The institutions—the University of Aberdeen and University of York from the UK, the University of Western Australia, the Illinois Institute of Technology (USA), and Italy’s Istituto Europeo di Design—will set up campuses within 18 months, offering international degrees at fees estimated to be 25–30% lower than studying abroad.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan confirmed that nine foreign universities have so far received permission to operate in India, with two already functional in Gujarat’s Gift City and six more underway.

The move aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations introduced last year, which permit top-ranked global universities to open campuses domestically with full autonomy over curriculum, fees, admissions, and academic sessions.

At a "Mumbai Rising" event in Colaba, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that Education City—a 250-acre enclave near the new Navi Mumbai airport—will initially host the five LoI-backed institutions, with a plan to eventually house at least ten globally reputed universities.

The zone is being developed to include medical, sports, and innovation city clusters, although the state government will act as facilitator rather than financier.

Fadnavis emphasized that foreign universities in the zone may recruit students based purely on merit, with scholarship policies determined by individual institutions.

He also encouraged partnerships between foreign campuses and local universities, citing an existing collaboration between Gondwana University (Gadchiroli) and an Australian university in mining education.

The UGC’s 2023 regulations stipulate that eligible foreign educational institutions must rank within the top 500 globally—overall or within a specific subject—or demonstrate outstanding expertise in a field.

They are also granted autonomy in faculty recruitment and permitted cross-border financial operations subject to Indian law.