Bengaluru, India – The University of Liverpool is set to establish its first Indian campus in Bengaluru, marking a significant milestone in UK-India educational collaboration. The university has teamed up with leading Indian and global organizations, including Wipro Limited, TiE Bangalore, Axis Bank, and AstraZeneca, to foster strong industry-academic linkages.
The Bengaluru campus is scheduled to open by August 2026, initially offering undergraduate programmes in Business Management, Accounting and Finance, Computer Science, Biomedical Sciences, and Game Design. Over the next ten years, the campus aims to serve up to 10,000 students.
While the exact location is yet to be confirmed, options under consideration include sites near Azim Premji University and plots within Karnataka’s upcoming 5,800-acre Knowledge, Wellbeing, and Innovation (KWIN) City between Dabaspet and Doddaballapur. However, development of the KWIN City may take two to three more years.
“We started thinking seriously about an India campus around 18 months ago,” said Professor Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool. “The launch is scheduled for August 2026, and we’ll announce the location very soon.”
The university’s decision to base its India campus in Bengaluru stems from long-standing collaborations with institutions like NIMHANS and IISc, and industry leaders such as Hindustan Unilever. “The city’s vibrant tech and innovation ecosystem makes it an ideal base,” Jones added.
The university has signed MoUs to integrate internships, industry-led guest lectures, and work placements into its programmes from day one. It also offers pathways for students to study at the main Liverpool campus in the UK for a term or longer.
In terms of staffing, the faculty will be a mix of Liverpool-based and locally hired educators, following a model similar to the university’s successful joint venture in China—Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, which now serves over 27,000 students.
The proposed Bengaluru campus will be research-intensive, with a focus on technology and life sciences, and will also include student housing facilities.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called the project a reaffirmation of the state’s global leadership in education. British Deputy High Commissioner Chandru Iyer welcomed the move as a step forward in UK-India ties in education and innovation. Karnataka Industries Minister MB Patil invited the university to explore KWIN City for future partnerships aimed at supporting MSMEs and startups.
“This is more than just a milestone—it’s a strategic alliance to co-create the industries and talent of the future,” said Patil.
