Mumbai, Chennai campuses of University of Western Australia to be operational by 2026

new delhi: the mumbai and chennai campuses of the university of western australia (uwa) are set to be operational from august 2026, with a high-level delegation from the university currently in india to engage with government and state agencies and build partnerships with indian institutions, officials said.the university grants commission (ugc) has approved uwa, perth, to establish multiple branch campuses in india, with the main hub planned in mumbai. uwa, ranked among the world's top 100 universities, will become the first ivy league-equivalent and the first from australia's prestigious group of eight (go8) universities to set up a campus in india.“india, home to over 371 million people aged 15 to 29, is a digitally native, entrepreneurial and globally connected generation driving innovation and growth. with one of the world's most vibrant startup ecosystems, india is translating research into real-world impact,” said guy littlefair, deputy vice-chancellor (education and student experience), uwa.“uwa's expansion is designed to harness this energy and contribute to it through world-class research, teaching and industry partnerships. by establishing campuses in mumbai and chennai, we are embedding uwa at the heart of india's future,” he added.the delegation led by littlefair is advancing plans to set up the campuses and strengthen collaboration with government bodies, industries, and academic institutions.uwa's recent india initiatives include partnerships with the andhra pradesh medtech zone (amtz) for medical science engagement, avid sports for sports science and business pathways, and hcltech for integrating industry-led innovation models into academic programs.the upcoming campuses will also serve as hubs for innovation and entrepreneurship, hosting startup launchpads, research centres, and incubation programmes connecting researchers, students, and industry partners from india and western australia. uwa's school of earth and oceans is collaborating with indian institutions on sustainable mining, renewable energy, climate change, and ocean science research.