The University of Western Australia has officially opened its first campus in India, establishing a direct academic presence in Mumbai and creating a new pathway for Indian students to earn a UWA qualification without leaving the country.
Located in Andheri East, the new campus marks a major step in UWA’s expansion into India and adds a new dimension to the education relationship between Australia and India. The opening was attended by Western Australian Premier Roger Cook and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, alongside UWA leaders and other representatives from government, education and industry.
The Mumbai campus is the first of two planned UWA campuses in India, with the university’s Chennai campus expected to begin operations in October 2026. UWA’s expansion follows approval from India’s University Grants Commission (UGC), which cleared the university’s application to establish international branch campuses in the country.
The move is particularly significant because UWA is a member of Australia’s Group of Eight, the country’s leading research-intensive university group. The university said its Indian campuses will maintain the same academic standards and quality assurance frameworks as its Perth campus while delivering education within the Indian market.
A new option for Indian students
One of the biggest changes created by the Mumbai campus is that students can pursue a globally recognised UWA qualification while remaining in India. Instead of moving to Perth at the beginning of their university journey, students can study at the Mumbai campus and remain connected to their families and local professional networks.
UWA says the campus has been designed to combine its academic approach with the opportunities offered by Mumbai’s extensive business, technology, finance and innovation ecosystem. The location in Andheri East also provides access to the city’s corporate and technology sectors, as well as the airport and Metro network.
The university expects students to have opportunities to engage with industry through projects, internships, mentoring and professional networking, supported by career coaching and employer engagement. This is intended to give students exposure to practical industry environments alongside their academic studies.
Courses focus on technology and business
The Mumbai campus will offer undergraduate and postgraduate programs in areas aligned with India’s rapidly expanding technology and business sectors.
Among the programs listed by UWA are Computer Science, Cyber Security, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Business Management, Global Business, Enterprise and Innovation, an MBA and a Master of Information Technology.
The emphasis on STEM and business reflects UWA’s broader strategy for its Indian campuses. The university says its Indian presence will focus on disciplines that can contribute to India’s future economy while creating connections with businesses, researchers and institutions in both countries.
For students, this means the Mumbai campus is not simply an overseas study centre. UWA is positioning it as an academic and industry-connected campus where students can study for UWA qualifications while engaging with one of India’s largest commercial and technology centres.
Campus designed around Mumbai’s industry ecosystem
The new facility has been established as a technology-enabled learning environment, with modern classrooms, project and innovation spaces, group-work areas, student hubs and collaboration facilities.
Its location is also central to UWA’s strategy. Andheri East places the university close to Mumbai’s business and technology ecosystem, giving students opportunities to connect their studies with companies and emerging industries operating in the city.
UWA India’s own information says the Mumbai campus covers approximately 70,000 square feet and is designed to bring together academic learning, emerging technologies and real-world challenges.
Investment behind UWA’s Indian expansion
UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Amit Chakma said the university has made an initial investment of $80 million to establish its two Indian campuses.
He described the expansion as an important step in bringing UWA’s education closer to students while strengthening research and industry relationships between Australia and India.
The investment demonstrates that UWA’s Indian expansion is intended as a long-term institutional presence rather than a short-term education initiative. The university is seeking to establish stronger connections across education, research, technology and industry.
A development in the Western Australia–India relationship
The campus opening also carries significance beyond higher education.
Western Australia has maintained a presence in Mumbai for around 30 years, according to Premier Roger Cook, with the relationship extending across people, knowledge, skills, technology and economic opportunities. The new UWA campus provides a physical representation of that relationship in the education sector.
Cook said the campus would strengthen connections between Western Australian and Indian students, researchers, businesses and institutions. The Western Australian Government has also linked the university’s expansion to its broader efforts to deepen relationships with India across trade, investment, energy, tourism, innovation and workforce development.
For Maharashtra, the development adds another international university to Mumbai’s education and innovation ecosystem. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the campus would provide young people with access to an internationally recognised education while contributing to Mumbai’s position as a centre for education, business and innovation.
UWA’s wider partnerships in India
The Mumbai campus does not begin UWA’s relationship with India. The university already has partnerships with Indian universities, businesses and government organisations in areas including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, critical minerals, technology, research and innovation.
UWA has also established a partnership with HCLTech to develop short courses and university innovation hubs across its Indian and Western Australian campuses. The collaboration is intended to connect students and researchers with industry, entrepreneurship and digital transformation opportunities.
Ahead of the Mumbai campus opening, UWA India said students would also have access to an AI Jumpstart program delivered with HCLTech, providing 30 hours of certification before the start of university studies.
Scholarships aimed at widening access
UWA has also highlighted inclusive education as part of its Indian strategy.
The university has partnered with Avasara Academy, a philanthropic organisation focused on developing young women leaders, to provide full scholarships for girls from low socio-economic backgrounds. The initiative is designed to create access to internationally recognised education for students who might otherwise face financial barriers.
This scholarship initiative forms part of UWA’s broader stated objective of combining international education with opportunities for students from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
Why the UWA campus matters for Australia–India education
The opening comes as Australia and India continue to deepen cooperation in areas extending beyond traditional trade and diplomatic relationships.
Education has become an important part of that relationship, with universities increasingly building partnerships around research, technology, innovation and student mobility. UWA’s decision to establish physical campuses in India represents a further step towards delivering Australian higher education directly within the Indian market.
The Australian Government has previously noted that India’s UGC regulations introduced a framework allowing eligible foreign universities to establish branch campuses in India, implementing part of the country’s National Education Policy 2020 and its objective of internationalising higher education.
UWA subsequently became the first Australian Group of Eight university to receive UGC approval to establish international branch campuses in India. The first campus was planned for Mumbai, followed by Chennai.
Mumbai first, Chennai next
The Mumbai opening is only the beginning of UWA’s Indian expansion.
The university’s Chennai campus is scheduled to commence operations in October 2026, giving UWA a second base in a major Indian metropolitan and technology centre. Together, the two campuses will expand the university’s physical presence across different regions of India.
The expansion also gives UWA the opportunity to develop relationships with different state governments, universities, businesses and research organisations while creating additional pathways for students interested in an Australian university education.
Creating opportunities on both sides
For Indian students, the Mumbai campus provides an alternative to immediately relocating overseas for a UWA degree. Students can gain an Australian university qualification while remaining close to their families and developing professional connections in India.
For Western Australia, the campus provides a new platform for engagement with India’s education, technology and business sectors. The university expects its Indian presence to support collaboration involving researchers, businesses, students and institutions in both countries.
The relationship could be particularly relevant in fields such as AI, cybersecurity, critical minerals, clean energy and advanced technology, where both India and Western Australia have identified opportunities for deeper cooperation.
A new chapter for UWA in India
The opening of UWA’s Mumbai campus represents a significant change in how an Australian university can engage with India’s rapidly growing higher education sector.
Rather than requiring every student seeking a UWA education to travel to Australia, the university now has a physical base in one of India’s largest commercial centres. With its focus on STEM and business, industry engagement, scholarships and research partnerships, the campus is intended to connect education with the wider economic and innovation relationship between India and Western Australia.
With Mumbai now open and Chennai scheduled to follow in October, UWA is building a new two-campus presence in India. The initiative gives Indian students another pathway to an Australian university qualification while creating a platform for longer-term collaboration between India and Western Australia in education, research, technology and industry.
