The University of Southampton has officially launched its campus in India’s Gurugram last week, becoming the first foreign university to open a fully operational campus in India under the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) new rules.

India’s education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Haryana state chief minister Nayab Singh Saini inaugurated the facility last Wednesday.

Pradhan said: “This is a major step in bringing international education to India and strengthening the India-UK education partnership.”

 He noted that the campus had been set up within a year of receiving the Letter of Intent from the UGC. He added: “With its globally recognised courses and strong academic legacy, this campus will help shape future leaders.”

Pradhan encouraged the university to introduce science, technology, engineering, and maths programmes at the campus. He also invited other leading international universities to establish campuses in India, as part of the government’s goal to make the country a global hub of learning under the National Education Policy 2020.

The Gurugram campus will offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees following UK academic standards. Students can also study for up to one year at the university’s campuses in the UK or Malaysia.

Courses starting in 2025 include undergraduate degrees in computer science, economics, accounting and finance, and business management. Postgraduate programmes will be offered in finance and international management.

Saini welcomed the university to Haryana and said the state is working to become a global centre for education and innovation. Higher education secretary Vineet Joshi highlighted the quality of education the university will bring to India: “This campus will support India’s goals in digital innovation and global leadership.”

The first group of students includes people from across India and countries such as the UAE and Nepal. The university plans to hire over 75 full-time faculty members who meet UK academic standards. Many will have experience in countries, including the UK, UAE, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and the US.

Southampton’s global alumni network includes over 290,000 graduates, with more than 1,700 from India.