Australia Leads Foreign University Push in India with 7 Branch Campuses

Australia is rapidly expanding its higher education presence in India, moving beyond traditional partnerships to establish dedicated branch campuses, according to Australia's High Commissioner to India, Philip Green.

Speaking to The Hindu, Green highlighted Bengaluru as a key hub for this expansion, noting that the University of New South Wales (UNSW), a globally top-20 ranked institution, has received formal regulatory clearance to open a campus there.

“As I understand, 18 global universities have been approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to open campuses in India. Of those, seven are from Australia. That is a very big quotient,” Green said.

Australia is the first country to establish foreign branch campuses in India. Two Australian universities are already operational in Gujarat's GIFT City, and five more are scheduled to open across the country, he added.

“Every one of these universities has a unique plan regarding student intake, course offerings, and employment pipelines,” Green noted, calling the development a significant step forward for bilateral ties.

When asked whether Indian graduates from these campuses would secure employment directly in Australia, Green emphasized the global value of the qualifications. “These universities produce graduates with global-level qualifications. Whether they secure employment in India, Europe, North America, the Middle East, or Australia depends on the individual student. Our primary focus is delivering global-quality education for a range of jurisdictions,” he said.

To maximize outcomes, the Australian High Commission is linking inbound universities with Australian companies operating in India. “We are asking Australian corporates what specific skills they need, and what is missing from current education models,” Green explained. “We are mapping out internships that Australian corporates in India can offer to these students, ultimately building direct pathways to employment.”

Green also addressed the global shortage of talent in STEM and AI fields, noting that the expansion targets critical sectors. “Everywhere in the world, there is a deep interest in AI at the moment. It’s difficult to satisfy all of the needs in that field,” he said. He pointed to cyber and critical technologies as areas requiring urgent investment, adding that these are exactly the fields Australian universities are teaching on the ground in India.

Currently, around 140,000 Indian students study in Australia. Green highlighted that the bilateral educational ecosystem relies on diverse models, including articulated degrees and joint PhD programmes. For instance, a joint engineering programme allows students to split four years between Mahindra University and La Trobe University, earning degrees from both. Similarly, the University of Queensland and IIT Delhi run a joint PhD programme where doctoral candidates leverage the scholarship of both faculties.

“There is a very fertile layer of partnerships happening directly between Australian universities and Indian institutions, heavily supported by various Indian states, like Karnataka and Gujarat,” Green said.