The delegation marks the largest ever government trade mission to India and follows the recent announcement of the landmark UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Forecasted to boost the UK GDP by £4.8 billion annually by 2040, the FTA underscores the growing importance of international collaboration. Its opportunities for growth and expansion into the Indian market is reflected in the University of Bristol's intention to open a campus in India, announced earlier this year.
Due to open in summer 2026, the Mumbai Enterprise Campus will be the University’s first international campus.
The Mumbai Enterprise Campus, like the Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, opening in 2026, will meet learners where they are, and foster strong partnerships between the University, industry and local communities.
Initial academic programmes offered in Mumbai will reflect areas of international strength for Bristol, including data science, economics, finance and investment, immersive arts, and financial technology, with future expansion into disciplines such as computer science, artificial intelligence, business, and management.
The University of Bristol has also recently announced a formal agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.
Anchored in the UK–India partnership and aligned with India’s National Education Policy (NEP), the University of Bristol’s flagship collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, formalised by a memorandum of understanding, focuses on innovation in teaching and translational research.
Working with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and a wider network of Indian partners, the University of Bristol is co-designing initiatives with Mumbai’s communities to exchange expertise and deliver impact. Together, these partnerships will help bring the Mumbai Enterprise Campus to life.
Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bristol, said: “The University of Bristol has always had strong and long-standing relationships with India. We also have several prestigious research partnerships with some of the leading universities and research institutes in India, including a recent agreement to develop new working initiatives aligned to areas such as translational research, artificial intelligence, and entrepreneurship with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay – one of India’s most highly ranked universities.
“Earlier this year, we announced our intention to establish a new campus in Mumbai, which marks a pivotal transformation in our 150-year history and a powerful, globally inclusive future we’re proud to build in partnership with colleagues in India. When our Mumbai Enterprise Campus welcomes its first students in summer 2026, we will be the highest-ranked university in the UK, delivering both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees to students in India. We will offer a wide range of subjects drawing on our reputation as a leader in artificial intelligence, data science, and areas like computational biomolecular and bio-systems design - accelerated by Isambard-AI, the UK’s most powerful supercomputer.
“Mirroring the University’s new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus in Bristol, which opens in a year’s time, the Mumbai Enterprise Campus will bring together industry, academics, students and local community partners within a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem to deliver impact on a truly global scale.”
Professor Michele Acuto, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement at the University of Bristol, said: "Co-creation has been central to our plans for the formation of the University’s Mumbai Enterprise Campus, and the collaborative agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and other Indian partners is a testament to the further bridging of academic excellence, innovation, and shared global purpose between our institutions.
“Joined together by a determination to platform innovation, enterprise, and interdisciplinary exchange, these partnerships connect our global outlook and outward-facing spirit of our home institution with the vibrant business, technology, and education sectors of Mumbai.”