Australia’s La Trobe University, Victoria University, Western Sydney University, and the UK’s University of Bristol have each been granted LOIs to establish the campuses, on the sidelines of the inaugural Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam 2025, held today to mark the fifth anniversary of India’s National Education Policy 2020.
La Trobe’s plans to establish a campus in India have been confirmed to The PIE News by a university spokesperson, who said the move aligns with the university’s Strategic Plan 2025–2030, which outlines a goal to pursue a “much greater presence and engagement with India”.
“As a global university with a long and deep association with India through diverse educational partnerships, pioneering research and industry engagement, we are excited at the potential to expand our real-world impact in India,” stated the spokesperson.
According to Indian news agency PTI, La Trobe, known for its research in smart cities, molecular sciences, and biotechnology, will offer bachelor’s programs in business, computer science, and public health, as confirmed by a senior Ministry of Education official.
While further details about the planned Bengaluru campus and related initiatives will be announced soon, the La Trobe University spokesperson noted that the institute remains active in India through research collaborations like the “Asian Smart Cities Research Innovation Network, joint PhD programs, industry partnerships, and student mobility initiatives”, including a joint civil engineering degree with Mahindra University and a 30-year partnership with Lady Shri Ram College for Women.
As a global university with a long and deep association with India… we are excited at the potential to expand our real-world impact in India
La Trobe University spokesperson
La Trobe, a member of the seven-university Innovative Research Universities (IRU) network, was initially part of a consortium campus plan with fellow members Flinders University, Griffith University, James Cook University, the University of Canberra, and Western Sydney University, as previously reported by The PIE.
Although initial discussions considered a joint campus in Haryana offering undergraduate programs in cybersecurity, software engineering, tourism and hospitality, artificial intelligence, and more, the member universities ultimately decided to pursue their individual offshore campus plans.
Among them, Western Sydney, is planning a branch campus in Greater Noida offering undergraduate courses in business analytics, business marketing, and an MBA in innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as logistics and supply chain management.
While GIFT City remains a major draw for international universities setting up in India, recent examples highlight that North India is also gaining attention.
Victoria University, for instance, is also planning to open a campus in Noida, which has recently emerged as a major industrial hub.
The dual-sector university, which offers both higher education and vocational training, will offer undergraduate programs in business, data science, and cyber security, and postgraduate degrees including an MBA and a Master’s in IT, reports suggest.
The University of Bristol joins the University of Southampton, University of Liverpool, University of York, and University of Aberdeen as another UK institution to have either established an India campus or been granted an LOI, while several others are also close to securing approvals.
Australia is also increasingly viewing India as a key offshore destination, with Deakin University and the University of Wollongong already offering undergraduate and postgraduate programs from their campuses in GIFT City, since last year.
Before La Trobe, Victoria University, and Western Sydney University received UGC approval, the University of Western Australia became the first Australian institution to secure permission for campuses in Mumbai and Chennai under the same framework, focusing on STEM and business.
