Lancaster University.
Credit: lancaster.ac.uk
Mumbai: Moving towards deepening educational ties between India and the United Kingdom, Lancaster University is set to open a campus in Bengaluru, a city known for its excellence in education, research, and innovation.
Nine UK universities are in line to establish campuses across India.
The announcement came after delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Keir Starmer at the sea-facing Raj Bhavan in Mumbai’s Malabar Hill.
Lancaster University, based in Lancashire, England, is among the top-ranked institutions in the UK for academic and research excellence.
During Starmer’s two-day visit to India with a 125-member delegation, education featured as a key focus area.
“It is a matter of great pleasure that several UK universities are now establishing campuses in India,” Modi said.
Starmer added, “We are deepening our cooperation in education as we’ve evidenced here today. It is the younger generation in India who will lead the charge toward the 2047 target. The demand for top-quality higher education is immense, so I’m pleased that all British universities will be setting up campuses right here in India — making Britain India’s leading international provider of higher education.”
A joint India-UK statement said both leaders recognised the importance of youth, cultural, and educational exchanges in shaping the future of bilateral relations. They also committed to the first Annual Ministerial Strategic Education Dialogue and the implementation of the Programme of Cultural Cooperation signed in May 2025.
Both sides noted progress in the opening of campuses of nine leading UK universities in India. The University of Southampton has already welcomed its first batch of Indian students at its Gurugram campus.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued Letters of Intent (LoI) for the establishment of branch campuses of the University of Liverpool, University of York, University of Aberdeen, and University of Bristol in India.
In addition, Queen’s University Belfast and Coventry University have been authorised to open campuses in GIFT City.
During Starmer’s visit, Indian authorities handed over the LoI for Lancaster University’s Bengaluru campus and granted in-principle approval for the University of Surrey’s proposed campus in GIFT City.
Meanwhile, Professor Simon Guy, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Global, Lancaster University, said: “Lancaster has always believed in the power of education to transform lives. As a research-intensive University and a sector leader in Transnational Education, we are boldly and purposefully outward looking in our ethos and approach, committed to building academic bridges across the world to make a positive impact.”
“By opening a branch campus in the city of Bengaluru, a vibrant hub of technology, education, and enterprise, Lancaster University aims to partner with Indian businesses, industry and local universities to collaboratively spark growth, generate opportunity, and ensure above all that Lancaster University students across the globe are empowered to succeed and to make a difference to India and the world,” he added.