University of Liverpool Gets Approval to Open Bengaluru Campus Under NEP 2020
UK institution becomes latest foreign university to establish a presence in India as government advances higher education internationalisation agenda
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper witness the handing over of the Letter of Approval (LoA) by Vineet Joshi, secretary, department of higher education, ministry of education, and chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), to Richard Grose, provost of University of Liverpool Bengaluru, in New Delhi on Thursday.
New Delhi: The University of Liverpool has received formal approval from the Government of India to establish its branch campus in Bengaluru, marking another milestone in the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the internationalisation of India’s higher education sector.
The Letter of Approval (LoA) was handed over by Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, and Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), to Richard Grose, Provost of University of Liverpool Bengaluru, in New Delhi on Thursday.
The ceremony was witnessed by Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper, underscoring the growing importance of educational collaboration in India-UK relations.
Senior officials from both countries, including foreign secretary Vikram Misri and British high commissioner to India Lindy Cameron, were also present on the occasion.
The University of Liverpool had received a Letter of Intent from the UGC in May 2025 under the UGC (Setting Up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023. Following a year-long process involving academic, infrastructure and regulatory preparations, the university has now secured final approval to commence operations in India.
The Bengaluru campus will initially offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in business management, computer science, game design, finance and biomedical sciences. The university plans to expand its academic offerings by introducing additional disciplines in the coming years.
Officials said the establishment of the campus reflects the government’s efforts to transform India into a global education hub by encouraging reputed international institutions to establish a presence in the country.
The initiative aligns with key objectives of the National Education Policy 2020, which seeks to promote international academic collaboration, expand educational opportunities for Indian students and enhance student mobility without requiring students to travel overseas.
Education cooperation has emerged as an important pillar of the India-UK partnership, and the opening of the University of Liverpool’s India campus is expected to further strengthen bilateral ties in research, innovation and higher education.
Founded in 1881, the University of Liverpool is among the United Kingdom’s leading higher education institutions and is globally recognised for its contributions to teaching, research and innovation.
The university’s decision to establish a campus in India is being viewed as a strong endorsement of the country’s evolving higher education ecosystem and the regulatory reforms introduced to attract world-class international institutions.
Education ministry officials said the entry of globally reputed universities is expected to provide Indian students access to international-quality education within the country while fostering deeper collaboration between Indian and foreign academic institutions.
