Russell Group unis opening campuses in India within the next year, despite money problems
The University of Bristol just confirmed plans to open a branch campus in Mumbai. But Bristol isn’t the only Russell Group uni starting new campuses in India. One of the Russell Group unis has just opened a campus, and three other unis will open campuses in 2026. This is pretty controversial among UK students and staff, since lots of these unis are also having money problems and are cutting people’s jobs.
Regulations in India were changed in 2023 so that foreign unis can open campuses there. That’s why so many UK unis are suddenly rushing to open campuses in India.
Outside the Russell Group, the University of Aberdeen, Coventry University and the University of Surrey are all planning to open campuses in India soon.
So, here are all the Russell Group unis planning to open campuses in India soon.
University of Bristol
On 29th July, the Indian government gave the uni the go-ahead to open a Mumbai Enterprise Campus in summer 2026. To start off, the new campus will focus on courses in the realm of data science, economics, finance and investment, immersive arts and financial technology. Bristol aims to then expand the offering to courses on business and computer science.
University of Liverpool
The uni was given permission in May to open a campus in Bengaluru. The first batch of freshers in August 2026 will be able to study business management, accounting and finance, computer science, biomedical sciences and game design.
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Newcastle University
Now, please note that Newcastle University hasn’t announced any fixed plans yet to open a campus in India. But management are definitely contemplated it. The vice-chancellor Chris Day said at a British Council event in Delhi earlier this year that “Newcastle is seriously considering opening a campus here in India itself.” He added: “I am now leaving India absolutely convinced that we need to do this. The question is what kind of campus and what subjects and where it will be, rather than if we will have a campus in India.”
Earlier this year, Newcastle University announced plans for £30 million of cuts, which is expected to include around 300 job losses.
Queen’s University Belfast
The uni is apparently investing somewhere between £5 million and £7 million into a new campus in a special economic zone in Ahmedabad.
This is pretty controversial among the student and staff at Queen’s. The uni had an operational deficit of £12.7 million in the 2023-2024 academic year. In February, management opened a voluntary severance scheme, aiming to get rid of 270 jobs.
The UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “It is scandalous that QUB is putting massive amounts of money into a new campus halfway round the world all the while axing jobs in Belfast.”
University of Southampton
The very first Russell Group uni campus in India has now opened. The site is in Gurugram, part of Delhi. 800 students applied, and 200 of them will start courses in accounting and finance, economics, computer science and business management.
The tuition fees are around half of what they would be for international students from India to do the same course in Southampton. Plus, the Indian students won’t have to spent loads of money on travel and Visas. Or live in Hampshire.
University of York
On 16th June, York announced it had been given permission to open a “research-intensive” campus in Mumbai. The vice-chancellor Charlie Jeffery said: “From its inception we aim to align York’s research strengths with the State’s priorities in artificial intelligence, healthcare, biotechnology and agritech, water quality, and befitting Mumbai’s creative capital through innovation in the cultural and creative industries.”
Earlier in 2025, Charlie Jeffery announced the university needed to make £15 million of cuts this financial year. In 2024, 270 jobs were cut through voluntary severance, saving the uni £34 million. The uni’s Centre for Lifelong Learning (CLL) will close on 31st July after 40 years due to a “challenging financial climate”.
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