Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan, along with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, on Wednesday inaugurated the India campus of the University of Southampton in Gurugram.

The launch coincides with the fifth anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The University of Southampton, a QS Top 100 global institution and founding member of the U.K.’s Russell Group, becomes the first foreign university to operationalise a campus in India under the University Grants Commission’s (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, said an official statement.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Pradhan called it a “momentous milestone” in the internationalisation of education, and a step forward in strengthening the India-UK education partnership envisioned in the India-U.K. Roadmap 2030.

He expressed confidence that the new campus, backed by Southampton’s academic legacy and offering a suite of forward-looking courses, would become a distinguished institution shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Pradhan said education is a “living bridge” between the two countries, and the opening of the varsity’s India campus would further fortify this bridge.

Chief Minister Saini welcomed the university to Haryana and reaffirmed the State government’s commitment to developing the region as a global hub for education and innovation.

 Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan, along with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, on Wednesday inaugurated the India campus of the University of Southampton in Gurugram.

The launch coincides with the fifth anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The University of Southampton, a QS Top 100 global institution and founding member of the U.K.’s Russell Group, becomes the first foreign university to operationalise a campus in India under the University Grants Commission’s (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, said an official statement.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Pradhan called it a “momentous milestone” in the internationalisation of education, and a step forward in strengthening the India-UK education partnership envisioned in the India-U.K. Roadmap 2030.

He expressed confidence that the new campus, backed by Southampton’s academic legacy and offering a suite of forward-looking courses, would become a distinguished institution shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Pradhan said education is a “living bridge” between the two countries, and the opening of the varsity’s India campus would further fortify this bridge.

Chief Minister Saini welcomed the university to Haryana and reaffirmed the State government’s commitment to developing the region as a global hub for education and innovation.

 Mr. Pradhan invited other top global universities to come to India to co-create ecosystems of innovation, research, and education. “Together, we must strive to build a bright future and drive innovation and progress,” he said.

The Gurugram campus will offer globally recognised undergraduate and postgraduate programmes aligned with UK academic standards. Students will also have the opportunity to spend up to one year at the university’s U.K. or Malaysia campuses.

Programmes starting in 2025 include B.Sc courses in Computer Science, Economics, Accounting & Finance, and Business Management, as well as M.Sc courses in Finance and International Management.