In a first, Illinois Institute of Technology to launch campus in India
Illinois Institute of Technology will establish a Mumbai campus in 2026. It will offer undergraduate and graduate programs. Other universities like Michigan, Purdue, and Liverpool are also planning campuses in India. The University Grants Commission is in advanced stages of approval. This move will boost India's higher education.
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New Delhi: Top-rated tech and research varsity, the Illinois Institute of Technology , is set to become the first US university to set up an India campus under the new UGC regulations while the US universities of Michigan and Purdue are also lining up for a presence here, ET has learnt.Likely to follow Illinois Tech's entry is the UK's Liverpool University campus in India, officials in the know confirmed to ET.Illinois Tech's India campus is first off the block and will come up in Mumbai next year with undergraduate and graduate courses in high tech fields, cross-campus study options and global classroom experiences besides its renowned 'Elevate' program, it is learnt.While approvals for Liverpool University's India campus are at an advanced stage, developments with respect to a similar campus set up with both Michigan and Purdue universities are also picking pace, ET has learnt.A prominent Australian university could also be headed to India for a standalone campus, it is gathered.Government sources confirmed that its approval processes for a clutch of high ranking foreign universities was in advanced stages.The entry of Chicago-based Illinois Tech is a major boost to the 'internationalisation' of India's higher education landscape and will bring an array of highly sought after courses to the country.Illinois Tech has already affirmed this week that its Mumbai campus will provide the "same academically rigorous, experiential, and industry-aligned curriculum as the university's Chicago campuses' besides the famed Elevate program, which guarantees all students access to 'real-world experiences' such as internships, research, competitions, and other opportunities. Courses will be delivered by an internationally recruited faculty, including visiting professors from Illinois Tech's US campuses and faculty with global academic credentials."In a bold and historic move, Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech), Chicago's only tech-focused university, is set to become the first US university to be approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to establish an independent degree-granting campus in India. Opening in Fall 2026, the new Illinois Tech, Mumbai campus, will offer a range of undergraduate and graduate programmes in high-demand fields such as computer science, engineering, and business", Illinois Tech has announced in Chicago on May 6 even as UGC is yet to announce its final approval.The entry of foreign Universities via an Indian campus route comes following the University Grants Commission (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations of 2023-a new rulebook aimed at facilitated setting up of India-based campus of top-rated foreign universities.The UK's University of Southampton was the first foreign University to be granted a letter of intent to set up a full-fledged campus in India under the UGC's Regulations in August 2024. It is expected to start operations this year.
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