The University Grants Commission has approved the establishment of multiple branches of the University of Western Australia across Mumbai and Chennai by 2026. The UWA intends to set up its Mumbai and Chennai campuses by August 2026. A senior university delegation comprising members from UWA is out in India to work with the government and state bodies.
They are looking to create partnership networks with Indian institutions, officials said. UWA, a university in Perth and one of the top 100 universities globally, is allowed by the University Grants Commission to open several branch campuses in India with the main one in Mumbai. With this, UWA will be the first Ivy League-level university and the first one from Australia’s elite Group of Eight to have a campus in India.
Guy Littlefair, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (education and student experience) at UWA, stated that India, with the largest youth population globally, over 371 million individuals aged 15 to 29, is digitally savvy and globally linked, while fueling generational innovation and development. He highlighted that India’s dynamic startup ecosystem is effectively turning research into practical, real-world results.
Littlefair laid out that the expansion of UWA is a move to connect with India's energetic market, learn from it, and give back through excellent research, education, and industry collaborations. With establishments in Mumbai and Chennai, two major hubs of innovation and growth, UWA is literally where the future of India is.
The university is scheduled to launch its campus first in Mumbai and then in Chennai. Both are expected to be up and running by 2026. The visit of the delegation, which is Littlefair-led, is all about moving forward with the plans for these campuses, meeting with the government and the state agencies, and creating different kinds of relationships with Indian institutions, industry leaders, and the business community.
Recent UWA initiatives in India include collaborations with Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) to enhance involvement in health and medical sciences via internships and immersive programs. With Avid Sports to develop pathways in sports science, business, and high-performance fields; and with HCLTech to incorporate industry-driven innovation models into UWA’s academic programs.
Littlefair stated that UWA’s upcoming campuses in India are planned as centers for innovation and entrepreneurship, featuring startup incubators, joint research centers, and cross-border incubation programs designed to create binational ecosystems. These will connect researchers, students, and industry partners from both India and Western Australia.
He also mentioned that through its School of Earth and Oceans, UWA is partnering with top Indian institutions to promote research in sustainable mining, renewable energy, climate change, and oceanography.
