The University of Western Australia (UWA) expects to enrol between 100 and 200 students across its Mumbai and Chennai campuses by year-end as it begins testing demand for its degrees in India.
UWA opened its Mumbai campus on September 18, becoming the first member of Australia’s Group of Eight to open a campus in India and marking the university’s first teaching and learning presence outside Australia.
The campus was inaugurated by Western Australian premier Roger Cook and Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
“This campus reinforces Mumbai’s position as a global centre for education, business and innovation and gives our young people access to a globally recognised education,” Fadnavis said.
Vice-chancellor Amit Chakma told The PIE News that UWA was beginning with a “relatively small” cohort after receiving final approval for Mumbai only weeks before opening.
At the time of the interview, UWA was awaiting approval for its Chennai campus, which was scheduled to open in October, according to the university, leaving enrolment numbers uncertain despite tentative offers to prospective students.
Although UWA has not promoted the campuses internationally, around 8% of those registering interest are from outside India, representing around a dozen countries in the region, according to Chakma.
He expects the campuses to attract more international students as Australia tightens entry requirements and the cost of studying overseas continues to rise.
Students could complete an undergraduate degree in India, spend time on exchange in Perth and potentially return to Australia for postgraduate study, Chakma said.
“This is a much more affordable option,” he said, adding that students would receive the same standard of education as those studying in Perth.
The comments follow Australia’s announcement of new restrictions on international students, including limits on dependants, tighter course-transfer rules and requirements to progress to higher qualification levels.
TNE helps. To us, where the students study is secondary; what they study is important
Amit Chakma, University of Western Australia
Asked by The PIE whether expanding transnational education (TNE) could help sustain Australia’s international education links while restrictions at home increased, Cook said the state remained strongly supportive of students coming to Australia.
“I’m a humble state premier, so I don’t have control over the rules of migration or visas to Australia,” Cook said.
However, he said the Mumbai campus gave students another route into Australian higher education without requiring them to relocate at that stage of their studies.
Chakma said TNE offered students greater choice based on their visa prospects and financial capacity, while preserving opportunities for mobility in both directions.
“TNE helps. To us, where the students study is secondary; what they study is important,” he said.
UWA plans two-way exchanges between its India and Perth campuses, with Chakma calling six or 12 months in Australia “better than zero” for students unable to study an entire degree overseas.
The model arrives as India’s emerging branch-campus sector faces questions over demand, pricing and graduate outcomes.
Research reported by The PIE identified 13 international universities admitting students across 14 Indian campuses in 2026/27, with a combined annual intake capacity of 2,730.
Rahul Choudaha, author of the report, had said that he expected actual enrolment across the sector to fall below half that capacity, citing late approvals and a wait-and-watch approach among parents seeking evidence on teaching quality, facilities and placements.
Although cheaper than studying overseas, average annual tuition stands at INR 13.3 lakh (£10,400) for undergraduate courses and INR 17.2 lakh (£13,400) for postgraduate courses, with undergraduate fees averaging 115% more than at selected leading Indian private universities.
UWA’s AUD$80 million investment in its wholly owned India campuses has created around 100 direct and 700 wider jobs, according to chancellor Diane Smith-Gander.
The university has also announced 140 scholarships and bursaries, including three full scholarships jointly funded by UWA and the Maharashtra government.
Its 10-year plan anticipates at least 10,000 students across Mumbai and Chennai, although Chakma said UWA would reassess its physical capacity around the halfway point before deciding whether to expand vertically or move to larger premises.
Both campuses will initially offer the same business and technology courses, including computer science, data science, AI, cybersecurity and a 12-month MBA launching in November.
The campuses will become more distinct through their local industry connections rather than substantial differences inside the classroom, Chakma said.
Chennai is expected to develop stronger links with IT, manufacturing and engineering, while Mumbai will lean more heavily towards business.
“The core will remain the same, but the flavour will change,” he said.
UWA is prioritising work-integrated learning, with Chakma saying its India campuses would be more career-focused than undergraduate education in Australia to reflect student expectations and the scale of the country’s industry base.
The university began approaching employers around 18 months before opening. HCLTech will provide students with a free 35-hour AI programme, while Australian data-centre operator AirTrunk has agreed to support internship opportunities.
UWA has also announced an alliance with Larsen & Toubro, while Tata Group and Zoho are among the organisations involved in its wider industry network.
UWA deputy vice-chancellor for global engagement Jennifer Howell said the network would offer internships and placements while allowing employers to contribute to curriculum development.
UWA is also seeking to address concerns that branch campuses could become teaching outposts with limited contributions to Indian research. It has recruited 35 academics through international searches using the same appointment criteria as in Perth, with staff carrying teaching, research and service responsibilities.
Chakma said researchers would work with colleagues in Australia and at Indian institutions, with early projects being explored in agriculture, oceans and medical technology. Sports science is also likely to be considered when UWA seeks approval for its next round of programmes.
For UWA, the immediate test will be converting early interest into enrolments before demonstrating whether its promises around industry experience, mobility and research can justify the price of an international degree in India.
Looking beyond that challenge, Chakma said he was already considering what UWA’s Indian presence could become over the next two decades.
“When we started, it was an idea. Now we are here, but now that we are here, I can see the future,” he said.