Second Campus, Second City: UWA Chennai Gets the Regulator’s Green Light

Just weeks after opening its first Indian campus in Mumbai, the University of Western Australia (UWA) is preparing to welcome students in a second Indian city, with India’s University Grants Commission (UGC) giving final approval for UWA Chennai.

The approval clears the way for orientation to begin on October 5, 2026, followed by the first classes on October 19, in a city UWA describes as recognized for its strengths in technology, engineering, manufacturing and innovation.

According to UWA, the decision makes it the first foreign higher education provider to establish a campus in Tamil Nadu, as well as the first Australian university and Group of Eight member to receive UGC approval in Chennai. The university also says it is the first foreign university to launch two campuses in India simultaneously.

Located at One National Park on Velachery Main Road in Chennai’s Velachery district, the new campus will initially focus on areas UWA says are aligned with the city’s technology and industry base.

Undergraduate programs will include Business Management, Computer Science, Data Science and Advanced Computer Science specializing in artificial intelligence. Postgraduate students will be able to study a Master of Information Technology or Master of Business Administration.

The two-campus strategy forms part of UWA’s AUD 80 million long-term commitment to wholly owned campuses in India, with the university positioning Mumbai and Chennai as bases from which students can access an Australian degree while remaining connected to Indian industry and international networks. UWA says its engagement with India spans more than a century.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay said the state’s strengths in education, technology and industry had made it “a leading destination for global institutions.”

He said UWA’s presence would further strengthen ties between Tamil Nadu and Western Australia and welcomed the university to Chennai, adding that he looked forward to “the opportunities this partnership will create for our students and our state.”

Western Australian Premier Roger Cook, who inaugurated UWA’s Mumbai campus in September, said it was “exciting to see this long-term Western Australian presence in India extend to Chennai.”

He pointed to Invest and Trade WA, the state’s trade and investment agency, along with existing government and industry relationships as a foundation for deeper engagement with Tamil Nadu, which he said “shares many of our strengths in education, skills, technology and industry.”

UWA Chancellor Diane Smith-Gander described Chennai as “an important addition to UWA’s presence in India,” saying the ambition was to offer students “an education that combines the depth of a UWA degree with the opportunities created by studying in one of India’s most dynamic cities.”

Vice-Chancellor Prof. Amit Chakma said the approval “allows us to move from planning to welcoming our first students in Chennai.”

Chakma said UWA would build on the Western Australian Government’s presence in the region and its long-standing academic partnerships, adding that the university looked forward to “beginning this journey with our inaugural cohort in October.”

UWA says the initial academic portfolio reflects Chennai’s strengths across technology, engineering, manufacturing and innovation, with courses spanning artificial intelligence, data science, information technology, business and economics.

For UWA, Chennai follows Mumbai, which opened in September, with its first cohort due to begin orientation on October 5.

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