University of Southampton opens India's first foreign varsity campus

The Gurugram campus marks the first operational foreign university in India under NEP 2020 reforms, offering UK-aligned UG and PG courses and enabling student mobility

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday inaugurated the Gurugram campus of the UK-based University of Southampton, making it the first foreign university to operationalise its campus in India.

 

The university received its official letter of intent from the Union education ministry in August last year, followed by a public announcement and formal launch on September 13, 2024.

 

The development follows the University Grants Commission’s 2023 notification of rules facilitating the entry of foreign higher education institutions into India as part of the National Education Policy 2020 reforms.

 

Under these regulations, foreign institutions seeking to establish campuses in India must rank within the top 500 globally — either overall or in specific subject areas — and demonstrate outstanding expertise in their fields, subject to UGC approval.

 

The University of Southampton was ranked 80th in the 2025 QS World University Rankings and 14th among UK-based institutions.

 

The institute’s Gurugram campus will offer globally recognised undergraduate and postgraduate programmes aligned with UK academic standards. “Students may also spend up to one year at the university’s campuses in the UK or Malaysia,” the education ministry stated in a public announcement. 

 

The ministry added that programmes commencing this year would include undergraduate courses in computer science, economics, accounting and finance, business management, along with postgraduate courses in finance and international management.

 

Pradhan said that the inauguration marks a milestone towards the internationalisation of education at home under NEP 2020, and also towards strengthening the education pillar of India-UK cooperation as envisioned in the India-UK Roadmap 2030.

 

He also asked the University of Southampton leadership to start STEM courses at the Gurugram campus.

 

Southampton’s move comes at a time when several British universities, such as the Universities of Liverpool, Coventry, York, and Aberdeen, have either announced plans to set up campuses in India or have received letters of intent from the education ministry.

 

Commenting on this trend, Rittika Chanda Parruck, director of education in India at the British Council, had previously told Business Standard that nearly 15 UK-based universities are eyeing the setup of campuses in India over the next three years, with the Delhi-National Capital Region, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad emerging as popular destinations.