15 Foreign Universities to Launch Campuses in India This Year
The University of Liverpool joins the list as UGC grants approval for Bengaluru campus.
India is opening its doors wider to international education. This academic year, 15 foreign universities are set to establish campuses in the country. Most of them will focus on STEMB fields—Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Biomedical Sciences.
The University of Liverpool is the latest to receive approval from the University Grants Commission (UGC). The green light was officially given at a ceremony in New Delhi. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan handed over the Letter of Intent (LoI) to university officials.
Liverpool becomes the second international university to get this approval under the UGC’s 2023 guidelines. The first was the University of Southampton, which plans to launch its India campus soon.
Founded in 1881, the University of Liverpool is part of the prestigious Russell Group. With this move, it becomes the fourth global institution to publicly announce its intent to operate in India.
Speaking at the event, Minister Pradhan said these developments align with India’s goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047—a vision called Viksit Bharat. He also highlighted the role of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which supports global academic collaboration.
The minister noted that the NEP aims to create a future-ready education system. It’s designed to build global citizens through innovation, partnerships, and quality learning.
The event also saw the signing of three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs). These were with companies and organisations including:
AstraZeneca Pharma India Limited
YouWeCan
Dream11
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG)
These partnerships aim to bridge the gap between academia and industry. They will also help create new opportunities in research, training, and job readiness.
Vineet Joshi, Interim UGC Chairperson, called the LoI more than a formality. “This marks a new phase in India’s higher education sector,” he said. “It reflects strategic reforms, global collaboration, and a strong policy push.”
With more international institutions showing interest, India’s ambition to become a global education hub is now closer than ever.
