Chicago: Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech), Chicago’s only tech-focused university, announced it has received formal approval from India’s University Grants Commission (UGC) to open a new campus in Mumbai—making it the first American university authorized to establish a degree-granting campus in India.
Set to welcome students in fall 2026, the Mumbai campus will offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in high-demand fields such as computer science, engineering and business. This historic expansion marks the culmination of more than two years of planning and builds on Illinois Tech’s decades-long presence in India and its legacy of cultivating global leaders in technology and innovation.
“Illinois Tech has always operated at the intersection of innovation, opportunity, and global industry demand,” says Illinois Tech President Raj Echambadi. “This initiative is a bold and forward-looking investment in the future of American competitiveness—one that strengthens our mission, expands access to high-impact education, and connects U.S. and global employers to a broader, globally educated pipeline of industry-ready STEM talent.”
“Over the past five years, U.S. FDI in India rose from $25 billion to more than $50 billion [in billion U.S. dollars, on a historical-cost basis, per Statista], with thousands of American companies contributing to India’s investment landscape scaling operations across the subcontinent,” says Mallik Sundharam, vice president for enrollment management and student affairs at Illinois Tech.
“This is a transformative moment—not just for Illinois Tech, but for global higher education,” said Sundharam. “In the past five years, we’ve seen a more than 73% increase in graduate students from India choosing Illinois Tech. Our new Mumbai campus responds to this extraordinary demand by delivering globally recognized, U.S.-accredited degrees in a format that is highly accessible, affordable, and locally contextualized.”
The Mumbai campus will offer the same experiential, industry-aligned curriculum that defines Illinois Tech’s Chicago education, including the university’s signature Elevate program, which guarantees all students access to hands-on research, internships, and career-accelerating experiences. Courses will be taught by globally recruited faculty, including professors from its Chicago campus.
