On Wednesday, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini inaugurated the University of Southampton’s India campus in Gurugram, marking a historic milestone as the first foreign university to establish a campus under the University Grants Commission’s regulations for foreign higher educational institutions in India. The launch aligns with the fifth anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The University of Southampton, a QS Top 100 institution and a founding member of the U.K.’s Russell Group, is set to strengthen the India-U.K. education partnership outlined in the India-U.K. Roadmap 2030. Speaking at the event, Mr. Pradhan described the campus as a “significant step” toward globalizing Indian education, emphasizing its potential to nurture future leaders through its innovative academic programs.
Echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Pradhan called education a “living bridge” connecting India and the U.K., noting that the new campus will deepen this bond. Chief Minister Saini welcomed the university to Haryana, pledging the state’s support to position the region as a global center for education and innovation.
Mr. Pradhan also extended an invitation to other leading global universities to establish campuses in India, urging collaboration to foster innovation, research, and educational excellence for a brighter future.
The Gurugram campus will offer undergraduate and postgraduate programs aligned with U.K. academic standards, including B.Sc degrees in Computer Science, Economics, Accounting & Finance, and Business Management, as well as M.Sc degrees in Finance and International Management, starting in 2025. Students will have the opportunity to study for up to one year at Southampton’s U.K. or Malaysia campuses.
The university, in a press release, said it plans to enrol up to 5,000 students every year by 2035.
