University of Southampton opens Delhi campus in Gurugram under India's UGC rules

The University of Southampton announced the formal opening of its Delhi campus in Gurugram, Haryana, on July 16, 2025. India's education minister took part in the opening ceremony, and the announcement also carried statements from a UK trade minister and the British High Commissioner. The university says it is the first international institution licensed by India's University Grants Commission to set up a campus under the National Education Policy 2020.

The campus opened with undergraduate and postgraduate programs in six subjects: business management, accounting and finance, computer science, economics, finance, and international management. The first cohort of about 150 students was due to start in August 2025, and the university plans to welcome up to 5,000 students a year by 2035. Graduates receive the same University of Southampton qualification awarded in the UK. Facilities include a student hub, a library and IT laboratories. Oxford International Education Group is named as a partner in delivering the campus, and the university cites links with firms including Deloitte India, Comviva and Investec.

The opening follows a provision in India's National Education Policy 2020, approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2020, which allowed top-ranked foreign universities to open campuses in the country as part of a wider aim to internationalize higher education through institutional collaboration and student and faculty mobility.