Canberra, Australia: Australian universities are intensifying their focus on India as a key location for establishing offshore campuses. Currently, two Australian institutions—University of Wollongong and Deakin University—have already set up campuses at GIFT City, India. According to Monica Kennedy, the Head of South Asia for the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) in New Delhi, this trend is accelerating, with expectations of another major campus launch within the next three years.

Kennedy stated, “Within the next few years, we anticipate at least one more Australian university will open a full-scale campus in India.”

These campuses aim to offer transnational education, where students can complete part of their coursework in India and finish their degree in Australia, providing dual awards. Kennedy further highlighted the growing interest in key fields like business, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, fintech, and health tech at both undergraduate and graduate levels. These sectors present substantial opportunities for Australian universities to deepen their engagement with the Indian market.

The recent wave of Australian universities setting up in India is largely due to close cooperation between the governments of both countries. Kennedy emphasized the strategic alignment of educational ambitions between the two nations, which is crucial to the development of strong educational partnerships.

In addition to the Australian universities, there is also rising interest from Indian institutions seeking partnerships with Australian campuses. Indian states are actively looking for international universities to establish campuses, offering local students greater educational diversity and the benefit of staying close to home. Australian universities are keenly exploring these opportunities, eager to expand their presence in India.