University of Aberdeen gets nod to open first Indian campus in Mumbai

University of Aberdeen has become the first Scottish university to receive the nod for setting up a branch campus in India, officials said on Saturday.

The university was granted a Letter of Intent to set up its branch campus in Mumbai which is expected to be operationalised by 2026.

The proposed campus would initially offer programmes in computing and data science, business management, economics, and artificial intelligence. Besides, it will also offer an MBA programme with future expansion in mathematics, international business management and information systems, public health, film studies and psychology -- strategic areas where Aberdeen and India share common priorities.

"We are excited to progress our global ambitions after the Indian Government gave us approval to proceed with our intention for a campus. As a country of over 1.4 billion where 50 per cent of the population are below the age of 25, India has long been a priority area for our global engagement strategy focusing on student recruitment, articulation partnerships, research collaborations and alumni networks," said Siladitya Bhattacharya, Vice-Principal, Global Engagement at the University of Aberdeen.

Bhattacharya explained that the proposed campus aims to empower students, accelerate joint research with Indian partners and contribute to India's dynamic knowledge economy.

"By combining the University of Aberdeen's research expertise with India's innovation ecosystem, this initiative aims to tackle global challenges while enabling student exchange, faculty collaboration and industry-led innovation.

"We are looking forward to collaborating with our Indian partners to bring this vision to life and further bolster ties between Scotland and India through education and research," he said.

Alison Barrett MBE, Country Director India at the British Council, said that the University of Aberdeen's decision to progress with a campus in Mumbai marks an important moment in deepening the education partnership between India and the UK.

"It reflects our shared commitment to advancing the internationalisation of higher education, research, and innovation, as envisioned in India's National Education Policy 2020," Barret said.

Founded in 1495, the University of Aberdeen is the fifth oldest in the UK. With education and active research delivered across 12 schools, the university has a diverse community of over 130 nationalities and 14,500 students across five key interdisciplinary areas: Energy Transition, Social Inclusion and Cultural Diversity, Environment and Biodiversity, Data and Artificial Intelligence; and Health, Nutrition and Wellbeing.