- UNSW Bengaluru to Open in 2026: India Gets First Top-20 Global University Campus
- UGC Clears UNSW’s India Entry; New Bengaluru Campus to Offer Top Global Degrees
New Delhi: The University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, has become the highest-ranked university in the world to receive approval to open a campus in India. The University Grants Commission (UGC) today issued UNSW a ‘Letter of Intent’ during a ceremony in New Delhi, hosted by India’s Minister of Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and attended by Australia’s Minister for Education Jason Clare.
UNSW Bengaluru will open in August 2026, allowing Indian students to earn a degree from a global top-20 university without leaving the country. The campus will offer undergraduate degrees in business, media, computer science, and data science, along with a postgraduate program in cybersecurity. All programs will mirror UNSW Sydney’s offerings, with stringent quality assurance overseen by joint governance structures and the UNSW Academic Board.
“A major step in Australia–India educational cooperation”
Australia’s Education Minister Jason Clare said UNSW’s entry into India marked a new chapter in bilateral collaboration.
“Education is one of Australia’s biggest exports—and it’s not a one-way street. It’s not just about students coming to Australia; it’s about Australian universities coming to them,” Clare said. “UNSW coming to India will create the highest-ranked university in the country, open new opportunities for young people, and bring our two nations even closer.”
India’s Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan welcomed the announcement, linking it to India’s broader global education aspirations.
“I am very happy to welcome UNSW to India. This will strengthen connections among Indian and Australian students, academics, and industry, and help realise India’s vision of becoming a global destination for education, knowledge creation, and innovation,” he said.
A pillar of UNSW’s 2035 global strategy
UNSW Vice Chancellor and President Professor Attila Brungs said the Bengaluru campus is a cornerstone of the University’s 2035 Strategy, Progress for All, which focuses on global impact through transnational education, research excellence, student success, and societal advancement.
“Education is a powerful force for social progress, and I am proud to be establishing a campus in India,” Prof. Brungs said. “UNSW Bengaluru will expand access to world-class education for talented students who prefer to remain closer to home, empowering them as the next generation of changemakers.”
“Indian students have enriched UNSW for more than 70 years. It is a privilege for UNSW to now come to them—supporting them in their own country.”
He added that UNSW’s international partnerships flourish where values and collaboration align, noting close work with the Government of India on National Education Policy 2020 priorities, including internationalisation, research strength, and improved graduate outcomes.
Deep Indian partnerships and Bengaluru advantage
The Bengaluru campus builds on UNSW’s long-standing collaborations with leading Indian institutions such as:
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Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
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National Law School of India University
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Indian Institute of Science
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Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
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Ministry of Steel
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Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd
Situated in Bengaluru, India’s technology and innovation capital, the new campus aims to accelerate the growth of high-skilled talent and cutting-edge research vital to India’s knowledge-economy ambitions.
UNSW was recently named the most entrepreneurial university in the Asia–Pacific and is consistently ranked Australia’s most employable university, reaffirming strong career outcomes and global employer demand for its graduates.
