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Business Standard
09-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Illinois Tech's Mumbai campus aims for 300-student inaugural batch in 2026
US-based Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) is beginning preparations for opening its Mumbai campus in fall next year with an initial intake of around 300 students, Raj Echambadi, president, Illinois Tech, told Business Standard in a video interview. 'The institute is expecting to begin site exploration, and recruitment of faculty and staff in the next two-to-three months, so that active recruitment of students can start for an intake in the next fall,' Echambadi added. Likening its upcoming Mumbai campus to a node in Illinois Tech's overall network, he said that many American students will get opportunities to study in India for a semester or a year, whereas many Indian students can go to the Chicago campus in exchange programmes. Key challenges for the institute could be the US administration's recent rules mandating social media vetting for student visa appointments, and President Donald Trump's recent run-ins with educational institutions. Calling it a short-term speed bump, Echambadi said there are not going to be many impediments, even for Indian students who come and study in the Chicago campus. Almost 20 per cent of the students in Illinois Tech's undergraduate (UG) and graduate programs are foreign students, of which close to 5-8 per cent are from India. 'There is anxiety among students and parents due to word of mouth. While I think there is going to be a very short-term dip in terms of student interest, there is no certainty that it is going to have a major impact in the long term,' he added. While at the Mumbai campus the institute will offer both UG and graduate degrees, most of its courses will focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Addressing concerns over fees, the institute said that while its tuition rates are still being finalised, they are looking at a cost range that would be very reasonable for the Indian market. 'Comparing it to the US cost, you are talking about one-third or a little over one-third of the cost that the students would pay at our India campus,' he said. Estimated tuition rates for an UG student at Illinois Tech is $51,648, according to the institution's website. Other additions such as housing, food, books, and transportation can inflate that bill to an estimated range of $64,894-77,624, depending on whether the student is living on or off campus. Echambadi added that the institute is working with its alumni network, and government scholarships to make affordability one of the key factors. 'Owing to the size of our Indian alumni, and because of the CSR (corporate social responsibility) rules in India, we are committed to fundraising in India in order to ensure that no qualified student in the country is ever turned away because of lack of access to resources,' he said. Illinois Tech's entry into India comes two years after the University Grants Commission (UGC) released rules facilitating the entry of foreign higher education institutions (HEIs) into the country as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 reforms. Under these regulations, foreign institutions seeking to establish campuses in India must rank within the top 500 globally — either overall or in specific subject areas — and demonstrate outstanding expertise in their fields, subject to UGC approval. While around 10-12 foreign HEIs, mostly British and Australian, have got letters of intent (LoIs) from the Union education ministry, Illinois Tech is currently the only American university to announce a campus in India. Speaking on the traction within US HEIs, Echambadi said that there is a lot of interest from American universities to come to India. 'We have had many calls from American universities asking us about the process we followed,' he added.
Forbes
20-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
U.S. Universities Launch Overseas Campuses To Beat Visa Hurdles
The Illinois Institute of Technology has become the first U.S. university to receive Indian government approval to open an independent, degree-granting campus in India. Scheduled to launch in fall 2026, the new Illinois Tech-Mumbai campus will offer undergraduate and graduate programs in high-demand fields such as computer science, engineering, and business. 'Illinois Tech was founded to democratize access to technology and innovation to all,' said Raj Echambadi, the university's president, in the announcement. 'Our new campus in India represents a profound opportunity to continue that noble mission in service of millions of talented young people across India, empowering them to become global leaders ready to make a difference.' Establishing university branch campuses overseas are costly endeavors and require a long-term outlook in terms of recouping investment. But as international students studying in the U.S. face increasing challenges due to the volatile immigration policies of the Trump administration, awarding U.S. diplomas offshore can be seen as a way to circumvent potential visa obstacles. The U.S. is the world's top study destination, hosting a record-high 1.12 million international students who contribute over $50 billion to the economy. Of that total, Indian students numbered 331,602, the largest single-country cohort, surpassing those from China for the first time since 2009. One of the reasons why U.S. universities are interested in recruiting students from India is the country's significant youth population, with people under the age of 25 making up around half the total population of 1.43 billion. However, the ability to the U.S. to continue to attract large numbers of students from overseas is currently being tested. After a round of international student visa revocations by the Trump administration followed by moves to restore the visas, university administrators fear that confidence in the U.S. as a study destination has been eroded. Already there are indications that international student interest in the U.S.—as well as in other Anglophone study destinations experiencing tightening visa regimes—is falling. Other U.S. universities are deepening ties with India. In November last year, Purdue University announced a partnership that would include the development of new centers for education and semiconductor excellence in India. According to the announcement, these moves 'will establish a presence for Purdue University in India, laying the groundwork for joint degree programs in high-demand fields such as artificial intelligence, data science, semiconductors, and business.' According to education news outlet The PIE, Johns Hopkins University is discussing the possibility of establishing a branch campus in India. The prominent research university already operates campuses in Italy and China. U.K. universities are also setting up branch campuses in India, with the University of Southampton opening a campus in a satellite city of Delhi while Queens University Belfast (QUB) will establish a campus in GIFT City, a business and tech hub. According to The Guardian newspaper, QUB estimates that building the branch campus will cost £5 million to £7 million, or approximately $6.25 million to $8.75 million. The Illinois Tech development follows announcements made by several other U.S. universities actively expanding their global footprint in a similar manner. In January, Georgetown University launched a new Georgetown SFS Asia Pacific program at a new 'facility' in Jakarta, Indonesia while in April, the University of New Haven announced plans to open a campus in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by fall 2026. At that campus, teaching will take place through three colleges, and would grow to host 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students. 'The University of New Haven is proud to have been an active supporter of higher education in Saudi Arabia for over twenty years, both within the Kingdom and on our Connecticut campus,' said University of New Haven President Jens Frederiksen, Ph.D., in the announcement. New York University is considered a trailblazer in creating overseas locales, having established a global network of campuses including degree-granting locales in Abu Dhabi, which welcomed its inaugural class in 2010, and one in Shanghai in partnership with East China Normal University, which opened a few years later. Beyond NYU, other American universities have also ventured into establishing international campuses, including Georgetown, Northwestern University and Carnegie Mellon University which all operate campuses in Qatar, and Stony Brook University which has a campus in South Korea. However, there's potential for disruption in establishing these overseas outposts. In a May 14 letter, House committee leaders urged Duke University to end Duke Kunshan University, a joint campus with Wuhan University in China, over national security concerns. Duke Kunshan was established in September 2013 and welcomed its inaugural class of undergraduates in 2018. In fall 2024, it enrolled a record-high class of nearly 500 students, expanding total enrollment to more than 2,200 students.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Illinois Tech expands to India with Mumbai campus
Illinois Tech University announced on May 6, 2025, that it has received formal approval from India's University Grants Commission (UGC) to open a new campus in Mumbai, making it the first American university authorised to establish a degree-granting campus in India. Set to welcome students in fall 2026, the Mumbai campus will offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in fields such as Computer Science, Engineering, and Business. Illinois Tech President Raj Echambadi said, 'Illinois Tech has always operated at the intersection of innovation, opportunity, and global industry demand.' Mallik Sundharam, Vice President for enrollment management and student affairs at Illinois Tech, said, 'In the past five years, we've seen a more than 73 percent increase in graduate students from India choosing Illinois Tech. Our new Mumbai campus responds to this demand by delivering globally recognised, U.S.-accredited degrees in a format that is highly accessible, affordable, and locally contextualised.' According to the University, the Mumbai campus will offer the same experiential, industry-aligned curriculum that defines Illinois Tech's Chicago education. This includes the university's signature Elevate program, which guarantees all students access to hands-on research, internships, and career-accelerating experiences. Courses will be taught by globally recruited faculty, including professors from our Chicago campus. The Mumbai campus will also support cross-campus study options, giving students in both countries the opportunity to gain global exposure, broaden their networks, and participate in research collaborations that reflect the interconnected nature of today's economy. Mr. Echambadi, says, 'The leaders of tomorrow will come from every part of the world—and they will need to collaborate across borders, cultures, and industries. Illinois Tech is proud to be the first U.S. university to open a campus in India. But more importantly, we're ready to shape what global higher education can and should be.'
