A seventh Australian university to open India branch campus

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is set to open its first overseas campus in India’s technology hub Bengaluru (Bangalore) in 2026. The new campus brings the number of Australian universities in India to seven, marking a consolidation in India-Australia educational collaboration, and a shift away from the trend of Indian students going to Australia for Australian degrees.

Four Australian universities earlier this year signalled their intention to set up a branch campus in India. They include La Trobe University, Victoria University, Western Sydney University and the University of Western Australia. Australia’s Deakin and Wollongong universities have already opened in Ahmedabad’s GIFT City in Gujarat state.

The UNSW announcement was made by Australian Federal Education Minister Jason Clare during a ceremony in New Delhi on 8 December in the presence of Indian Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan and included an exchange of the Letter of Intent to set up the campus under India’s University Governing Council (UGC) rules.

The event took place at the third Australia-India Education and Skills Council (AIESC) meeting, a bi-national platform that shapes strategic cooperation in education, training, research, and skills development between the two countries.

Clare said: “This is a win-win. It is good for Australia and it is good for India. It is a great sign of the strength of the relationship between India and Australia.”

Julian Hill, Australia’s assistant minister for international education, said: “By bringing world-class Australian education directly to India, UNSW has reinforced the commitment made by other Australian institutions to educate and support Indian students to access high-quality education”.

Speaking at the AIESC meeting, Pradhan said AIESC would “open wider avenues for India’s youth and further deepen our bilateral engagements across the full spectrum of education and skill development”. He added: “Education, skills and research are the key pillars of the India-Australia strategic partnership.”

UWA and Victoria University

The University of Western Australia (UWA) and Victoria University are to open India campuses by mid-2026. UWA will become the first to launch two campuses simultaneously in Chennai and Mumbai, while Victoria University will establish its campus in Gurugram, Haryana state.

The UWA has stepped up its engagement with India and the Indo-Pacific region by launching a multi-city mission to bolster partnerships in education, research, skills, and innovation, according to a statement.

Led by UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Amit Chakma, the 3 to 13 December visit is part of an official Australian delegation headed by Minister for Education Jason Clare.

UWA is poised to become the first of Australia’s Group of Eight leading research universities to establish a physical academic presence in India, with a business-focused campus in Mumbai and a tech-focused campus in Chennai.

UWA has appointed David Das as chief operating officer of UWA India to lead campus development and operations. Further initiatives will be announced in healthcare, sports science and expanding access to higher education, strengthening UWA’s long-term Indo-Pacific strategy, the university statement said.

Meeting growing demand

UNSW Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Attila Brungs said its new campus in India will help to meet growing demand for higher education in the country and provide Indian students with access to global top-20 institutions “from the comfort of their homes”.

Graduates will receive the same UNSW qualifications recognised by employers and universities worldwide, he added.

The campus will offer undergraduate programmes in business, media, computer science, and data science, as well as a postgraduate course in cybersecurity. Quality standards will be maintained through joint governance under the supervision of the UNSW academic board. The new campus will also support UNSW's aim to diversify its international student base.

“With Bengaluru's strong innovation culture, the university aims to deepen engagement with India's government, industry, academia, and research ecosystem, and foster partnerships in areas such as renewable energy, health, transport, and education,” said UNSW Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Global, Professor Colin Grant.

Cooperation in various fields

Multiple Indian and Australian higher educational institutions and skilling bodies committed to deepening cooperation in various fields during the Australian minister’s visit.

For example, UWA, the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Mumbai and the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad will collaborate in mining exploration, mining logistics, and mining automation and sustainability.

Similarly, UWA and Australia’s Skill Council for the Mining Sector will develop “a global mining talent pool between Australia and India”.

Deakin University and IIT Roorkee will set up a Centre of Excellence in Disaster Resilience. Western Sydney University (WSU) and the Government of Andhra Pradesh will promote agricultural research and innovation by linking WSU to Andhra Pradesh’s Ratan Tata Innovation Hub.

Universities Australia CEO Luke Sheehy said: “Our universities connect our countries – through research that tackles global challenges, joint degrees and the exchange of student and academic staff.”