By Keira Guy, News Subeditor
The University of Bristol's first international campus is set to open in August 2026.
A series of major partnerships between leading Indian corporations and the new campus was announced at a celebratory event on February 24.
Students will have access to research-led teaching in Data Science, Economics, Finance and Immersive Arts, as well as scholarships and practical industry experience. Applications are open now.
Mumbai is a hub for business, technology and innovation as India’s financial capital. The collaboration intends to foster collaborative learning and improved employability outcomes.
Following the landmark UK-India Free Trade Agreement on May 6 2025, the University of Bristol intends to strengthen its ties with India and foster student mobility between the two countries.
The University reached a Memorandum of Understanding, a formal, non-binding agreement of shared goals, with one of the world’s largest IT services and consulting firms, Tata Consulting Services (TCS).
TCS helps businesses transform by providing them with technology, customer service, innovation and engineering and it intends to become the world's largest AI-led technology services company.
This partnership particularly aligns with Bristol’s AI research ambitions. As AI University of the Year 2024 and home of the world’s fastest university supercomputer, Isambard AI, the partnership with TCS intends to advance artificial intelligence research.
Vice-Chancellor Evelyn Welch, said ‘Our Mumbai Enterprise Campus will be a place where world‑leading research, outstanding education, and meaningful industry collaboration come together at the heart of one of the world's most dynamic cities.’
In its first year, the Mumbai Enterprise Campus is expected to have 250 students and is predicted to be more than 2,500 by its fifth.
These new alliances will ‘create unparalleled opportunities for students, researchers, and communities in both Mumbai and Bristol,’ according to V-C Evelyn Welch.
Carolina Stott
James Lewis
The Mumbai Enterprise Campus will also provide exciting opportunities for full time students at the University of Bristol as they can spend time in Mumbai as a part of their study.
Venguswamy Ramaswamy, Global Head of TCS Education and TCS iON, said, ‘As TCS accelerates its vision of becoming the world’s leading AI‑led technology services company, collaborating with an institution globally recognised for its excellence in AI research and advanced learning creates immense potential.’
The University also unveiled collaborations with IIT Bombay, ICICI Bank, Supervity AI, the British Council and a £1.5 million donation from Shanta Foundation, which are intended to boost student mobility and research.
The Shanta Foundation supports communities in Kenya, India and the UK through funding and delivering projects that provide access to healthcare, safe housing and education.
The £1.5 million donation is intended to support research collaborations and partnerships between Bristol and Mumbai and will create the Shanta Chair, a role that will form a bridge between India and the UK.
Bhikhu Patel, a Bristol Alumni, said ‘This gift from the Shanta Foundation will benefit students, both in India and in the UK – through scholarships and travel, creating exciting opportunities and developing further connections between our two countries.’
Andrew Monk, Executive Director of Global Engagement at the University of Bristol, said that the donation will also benefit Bristol students ‘most in need’, to ensure that opportunities in Mumbai are accessible to everyone.
The government of Maharashtra will also support a scholarship scheme for local students at the new Mumbai campus. Up to ten talented students from Maharashtra will receive fully funded tuition and financial support and an internship in the Chief Minister's office.
Shri Devendra Fadnavis celebrated the scheme, which will create ‘transformational opportunities for meritorious students from Maharashtra to access world-leading education, while remaining connected to public service and nation-building.’
‘We are delighted to partner with a globally respected institution to nurture talent that will contribute to Maharashtra’s and India’s future.’
The Isambard Global Visiting Professorship Scheme has also been created to bring academics to Bristol to enhance research, collaboration and student experience, including academic mentoring.
Kushe Bahl, lead partner at global management consulting firm MicKinsey, is the first person to be appointed to this role.
According to Andrew Monk, Bahl will ‘also be spending time with us here in Bristol so students here have the opportunity to hear from a world-leading expert.’
Another partnership announced last week is with the British Council’s Climate Skills Programme, which intends to work with 80 young people in Bristol, Mumbai and Thane to enhance their green skills.
Whilst this is not the first international campus opened by a UK university, it is one of the first UK university campuses in India under the new FTA, which places Bristol as a strong UK-India academic base.
It forms part of a wider trend of UK higher education expanding into India, with the University of Southhampton, University of York, University of Liverpool and Queen's University Belfast having announced plans to do so among others.
Cara Hene
Keira Guy
In recent years, ‘transnational education’ has become an increasingly attractive strategy for UK universities. As the UK higher education sector is facing mounting financial struggles, it is a way to access foreign students, mitigating against domestic pressures and volatility.
Students interested in the programmes offered should visit the official Mumbai Enterprise Campus website.
Featured image: The Gateway to India in Mumbai | Unsplash / Daniel Dara
