University of Western Australia to invest $55mn, set up campuses in Chennai, Mumbai

The University of Western Australia (UWA), an Australian Government-established entity, is investing Rs. 500 crore (approx. $55 million USD) to set up campuses in the Indian cities of Chennai and Mumbai. This is a result of the Indian University Grants Commission (UGC) having approved UWA’s application to establish campuses in the country.

The UWA is looking to open these campuses at pre-existing private properties in two Indian cities, with the goal of commencing academic courses in August 2026. The UWA is among the world’s Top 100 Universities and a member of Australia’s Group of Eight, the country’s leading research-intensive institutions. By establishing a physical presence in India, UWA aims to deepen educational and economic relationships, create new research and industry partnerships, and foster opportunities for collaboration that benefit both regions.

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According to UWA’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Amit Chakma, the upcoming India campuses would offer a diverse portfolio of Undergraduate and Master’s degree programmes, with a strong focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Business and Commerce courses. We are looking to enrol a total of 600 students as part of the first batch at the Chennai and Mumbai campuses, he said.

He elaborated that over 90 per cent of the $55 million investment would be made in India, which involves hiring of local staff, Chief Academic Officer, Professors, Building leasing costs, among others.

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Speaking about the long-term vision, he said that the UWA looks to have a total of 5,000-6,000 students at both their Indian campuses by the time they enter their fifth year of operations in the country. He added that they would like to double this number when they complete a decade of operations in India. Further, they would also be working towards enrolling students from neighbouring South Asian and African nations to study at their Indian campuses, where about 30 per cent of the student intake would be International (non-Indian students).

Queried about the rationale behind having two campuses in India, when a large number of Indian students already travel to Australia and other countries for higher education, the Vice Chancellor said that many Indian students cannot afford to visit Australia and study there, and that the country’s capacity to absorb International students is very small, when compared to the Indians aspiring to go there. He added that the efforts to establish campuses in India were undertaken in close coordination with the relevant Indian government authorities and the respective State governments.

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“The annual fee structure for courses in our India campuses would be similar to what domestic students in Australia pay for their college education. Therefore, it would be significantly more affordable than what International (Indian) students pay to stay and study in our Australian campuses,” Amit Chakma told WION.

On the aspect of partnerships with Indian academia and industry, he said that the UWA is working with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Indian Institute of Management (IIM) campuses, besides private Universities and industries on various aspects of collaboration.

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“UWA’s collaboration with Indian IT firm HCLTech will deliver first-of-its kind global micro-credentials in AI, cybersecurity, digital engineering and technology leadership, co-developed by UWA and HCLTech. This partnership will link India’s advanced tech ecosystem with UWA’s global expertise and create employability pipelines across both regions,” UWA announced. This initiative would culminate in the Indo-Pacific Hackathon delivered with the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce and the Indian Ministry of Electronics, Information Technology (MEITY), allowing students to solve real-world problems in emerging technologies.