University of York granted licence to open Mumbai campus

Posted on Monday 16 June 2025

The announcement was made at an event in Mumbai led by the Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan and the Chief Minister of Maharashtrai, Devendra Fadnavis, with the University of York’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Charlie Jeffery. 

The event was also supported by Deputy Chief Ministers, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, as well as Minister of Higher and Technical Education, Chandrakant Patil. 

The University of York Mumbai will offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security, Business, Economics, and the Creative Industries. Programmes in emerging fields - AI, cybersecurity and the creative industries - will be designed with global industry input, boosting job readiness in high-demand sectors and opening career pathways for Indian learners. 

Initially housed in a prominent business district in Mumbai for entry in 2026, the University of York plans to develop the campus over the coming years. All programmes will be delivered in line with York’s academic standards, with students graduating with a University of York degree, enabling York to bring its academic model directly to one of the fastest-growing education markets in the world. 

Research emphasis

A distinctive feature of the campus will be a strong emphasis on research from the outset. This commitment to research will underpin teaching and the student experience, but also contribute significantly to India’s growing demand and drive for research development and innovation in areas such as food security, environmental change and future technologies.

Vice Chancellor Professor Charlie Jeffery, said: “In Mumbai we will build a research-intensive university offering outstanding student education, embedded in local industry and dedicated to the extraordinary dynamism of Maharashtra. 

“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.

“This journey is one of collaboration, however, and we look forward to working with education and industry partners, as well as our much-valued alumni, in India to shape the future of University of York Mumbai.”

New partnerships

The University also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Teach for India - an organisation that provides a two-year fellowship for graduates to teach in low-income schools in India and supports alumni who aim to launch their own education organisations.

In a second MoU signing, the University, through its CoStar Live Lab, will work with the newly created Indian Institute for Creative Technologies (IICT) - an institution modelled after the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) to serve the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Realty sectors.

The University of York has strong and enduring ties with India through a vibrant alumni network, academic collaborations, and joint research initiatives. The Mumbai campus intends to be a natural extension of this relationship, reflecting the University’s commitment to accessible, inclusive and globally relevant higher education, and through actively engaging with Indian academic partners, regulators and industry leaders to shape a campus that meets national and global standards of excellence.