Bengaluru June 6, 2026: The University of Liverpool has received the Letter of Approval (LoA) from the University Grants Commission (UGC), Government of India, marking the completion of the final regulatory milestone required to formally commence operations and begin student admissions for its Bengaluru campus.
The approval makes Liverpool the first UK Russell Group with this approval in South India and enables the University to convert offers into admissions and welcome the inaugural cohort of undergraduate and postgraduate students in September 2026. It also represents a significant milestone in the University’s India strategy and reinforces the growing momentum behind India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which seeks internationalisation of higher education access.
The Bengaluru campus will bring the academic excellence, research intensity and global opportunities of a leading Russell Group university to one of the world’s fastest-growing education and innovation markets.
The Letter of Approval was formally handed over by Dr. Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Chairman, University Grants Commission (UGC), to Professor Richard Grose, Provost, University of Liverpool Bengaluru, in the presence of Hon’ble External Affairs Minister Shri Dr. S. Jaishankar, Hon’ble Union Minister for Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and UK Foreign Secretary, Rt. Hon. Yvette Cooper, Lindy Cameron CB OBE, British High Commissioner to the Republic of India and Alison Barrett MBE, Country Director India, British Council.
The approval follows the University’s successful completion of the academic, infrastructure and regulatory requirements outlined under the UGC (Setting Up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023. The approval provides students in India with the opportunity to pursue a globally recognised University of Liverpool degree in- country, while benefiting from the same academic standards, quality assurance frameworks and research-led learning experience that define the University’s programmes in the UK.
The Bengaluru campus, located in Alembic City in Whitefield, will be the University’s first international campus in 20 years . Situated in one of India’s leading technology and innovation hubs, the campus will offer students access to world-class education, research opportunities and industry engagement.
Commenting on the development, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education, tweeted: “Delighted to witness the handing over of Letter of Approval to the University of Liverpool for establishing its campus in Bengaluru in the presence of Hon’ble External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar and UK Foreign Secretary H.E @YvetteCooperMP. This marks a significant milestone in the implementation of #NEP2020 and India’s journey towards becoming a global hub of learning, innovation and research. The presence of leading international universities in India will expand opportunities for our youth, strengthen academic collaboration and further deepen the India–UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. I congratulate @LivUni on this landmark initiative and look forward to welcoming its first cohort of students to India.”
Commenting on the development, Professor Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, said: “India is one of the world’s most dynamic centres for talent, innovation and economic growth and we at the University are excited to have been granted the opportunity to play our part in developing highly skilled, work-ready graduates. As we move towards welcoming our first cohort of students in Bengaluru, our focus is on offering our globally recognised, research- and employer-informed curriculum to talented learners. Our purpose-built campus reflects our commitment to deepening and broadening our long-term educational and research partnerships in India, while contributing to the country’s growing knowledge economy through academic excellence, innovation and impactful collaboration.”
The Bengaluru campus is offering an initial portfolio of Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes in business management, computer science, game design, accounting and finance and biomedical sciences. It also plans to introduce additional disciplines in the coming years. Students will graduate with UK-accredited degrees and benefit from research-led teaching delivered by internationally qualified faculty.
Professor Richard Grose, Provost, University of Liverpool Bengaluru, said: “I was delighted and honoured to receive the Letter of Approval for our Bengaluru campus in such esteemed company. This marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for students seeking a globally recognised education in India. Our vision is to create a learning environment where students can benefit from the academic excellence of the University of Liverpool while being deeply connected to India’s innovation and industry ecosystem. The campus will offer students opportunities to engage with leading researchers, entrepreneurs and employers, helping them develop the knowledge, skills and global outlook needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving world. We believe this model of education will prepare graduates not just for jobs, but for leadership in the industries of the future.”
The University has already established a strong foundation for collaboration across India’s academic and innovation ecosystem. It has signed MoUs with, for example, the Government of Karnataka, Wipro Limited, Axis Bank, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), YouWeCan Foundation, Dream11 and AstraZeneca to strengthen cooperation in research, innovation, and academic mobility. Two joint seed funds have also been established with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi to support research and innovation projects focused in a range of fields from AI to biomedical and life sciences and quantum technology. These partnerships are expected to create new opportunities for students, researchers and industry stakeholders while strengthening India-UK academic collaboration. IIT Delhi.
“This is a landmark moment – for the University of Liverpool, for Eruditus, and for what India is becoming as an education destination. What excites me most is that India’s higher education reform is moving from policy intent to on-ground reality, and we are building the infrastructure for a generation that will no longer have to choose between world-class education and staying home. We have historically been one of the world’s largest exporters of student talent, but what we are witnessing now is the early architecture of a reversal, and each approval accelerates it. We are proud to be part of this journey” adds Ashwin Damera, Co-founder & CEO of Eruditus, which is supporting the university in its operational readiness for the Indian market.
About the University of Liverpool
Founded in 1881 as the original ‘red brick’, the University of Liverpool is one of the UK’s leading research-intensive higher education institutions with an annual turnover of £708.3 million, including an annual research income of £163.1 million.
Now ranked in the top 150 universities worldwide (QS World Rankings 2026 and Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026), we are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of the UK’s leading research universities and have a global reach and influence that reflects our academic heritage as one of the country’s largest civic institutions.
The latest UK rankings of circa 130 institutions have placed the University of Liverpool at 18th (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025), 22nd (2026 Guardian University Guide), 25th (Daily Mail University Guide 2025), and 23rd (2026 Complete University Guide) nationally.
