London’s ‘evening university’ to open first-ever IBC in India

Birkbeck, a member institution of the University of London, has received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from the University Grants Commission (UGC) to open its first overseas campus at Sattva Tech Park, a major technology hub in Bengaluru.

The campus will offer programs in business management and analytics, with annual fees set at INR 700,000 (£5,500) for undergraduate courses and INR 1,230,000 (£9,700) for one-year postgraduate programs. The first intake is scheduled for July.

Known in the UK for its part-time and evening courses catering to working professionals and interns, Birkbeck will adopt a more full-time approach for its India programs, making “high-quality, transformative education more accessible to students in India”, according to vice-chancellor Sally Wheeler.

“Birkbeck is well known in the UK for the quality of education it provides and for the transformational impact this has on its students’ lives, as well as the benefits this brings to the London, UK and wider international economy,” said Wheeler in a statement.

As per reports, the university – the 15th international institution to receive an LoI to establish a campus in India – will offer degrees at 60% lower cost than its home campus, supporting India’s goal of raising its higher education GER to 50% by 2030.

According to India Today, Wheeler said merit-based scholarships are being planned for the India campus to ensure financial constraints do not hinder access, with details still being worked out.

“The 200-year-old @BirkbeckUoL, which would offer courses in business management and analytics, is expected to boost @StudyInIndiaGov, further reaffirming education as a key bilateral pillar in the India-UK relationship as envisioned in the Leaders’ Statement issued in October 2025, and thereby contribute to the vision of #ViksitBharat,” read a statement on the X account of India’s education ministry.

The entry of leading global institutions like Birkbeck, University of London reflects India’s broader ambition to become a preferred destination for international education by 2030, creating opportunities for students, strengthening research collaboration, and building a globally competitive knowledge economy

Vineet Joshi, UGC

Vineet Joshi, chairperson of the UGC and secretary of the department of higher education, Lindy Cameron, British high commissioner to India, and Alison Barrett, director India at the British Council, were among the officials present at the LoI handover ceremony.

Birkbeck is now the tenth university to have opened or received approval to open a campus in India under the UGC regulations for foreign higher educational institutions, with the University of Southampton and Queen’s University Belfast already operating teaching campuses in Gurgaon and GIFT City respectively.

As India looks to host 1.1 million international students by 2047 and reduce the outflow of students going abroad, international branch campuses are increasingly being viewed as a key route to strengthening the country’s global higher education appeal.

“The entry of leading global institutions like Birkbeck, University of London reflects India’s broader ambition to become a preferred destination for international education by 2030, creating opportunities for students, strengthening research collaboration, and building a globally competitive knowledge economy,” stated Joshi.

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