Illinois Institute of Technology has locked in a key approval from India’s University Grants Commission, clearing the way for the Chicago university to open a degree-granting campus in Mumbai and enroll students for fall 2026. The Letter of Approval makes Illinois Tech the first U.S. university cleared under the UGC’s mainland regulations to offer U.S. degrees on Indian soil. The first cohort is set to begin classes in September, and applications for both undergraduate and graduate programs are already open.
Chicago Campus Heads To Godrej Business District
In a press release via Illinois Institute of Technology, the university said it has chosen the Godrej Business District in Vikhroli for a roughly 90,000-square-foot campus that will mirror the U.S. curriculum Illinois Tech teaches in Chicago. The site is slated to include classrooms, labs and career-focused facilities backing programs in computer science, artificial intelligence, data science, engineering and business. Illinois Tech President Raj Echambadi called the move “a meaningful continuation of that shared history,” framing the Mumbai campus as an extension of the university’s long-standing ties to India.
UGC LoA Sets Up Fall 2026 Intake
As reported by India Today, the University Grants Commission’s Letter of Approval authorizes Illinois Tech to begin academic operations and enroll students for an inaugural intake scheduled for September 2026. According to the report, applications for both undergraduate and postgraduate programs are already live on the university’s Mumbai webpages, giving early movers a head start on the new campus.
Temporary Vikhroli Site, Limited Seats And Fees
Local reporting in the Hindustan Times says Illinois Tech will initially operate from a temporary facility in Vikhroli on Godrej land while work continues on a permanent campus. The same report notes that UGC has given preliminary approval for roughly 30 students per programme, which means early batches are likely to feel more boutique than mega-campus. University officials cited in the article put proposed tuition at about 216 lakh a year for undergraduates and around 220 lakh for master’s programmes, with scholarships and alumni support expected to help offset costs for some students. The Hindustan Times report also says classes are slated to begin in Mumbai from August, ahead of the broader fall 2026 timeframe.
How This Fits Into India’s Campus Push
Illinois Tech’s approval lands in the middle of a broader effort to internationalize Indian higher education under the UGC’s 2023 foreign-campus rules. Those regulations have sparked a wave of Letters of Approval for overseas institutions this year and turned Mumbai into particularly hot real estate for foreign universities. The University of York, among others, announced that it received an LoA to open a Mumbai campus in June, signaling growing momentum for foreign branch campuses across India rather than a one-off experiment.
What Students Should Know About Visas
Prospective students should keep one crucial point in mind: earning a U.S. degree in India does not automatically create eligibility for post-study work visas in the country that awards the degree. For instance, the U.K.’s Graduate Route requires applicants to have studied in the UK on a Student visa, and U.S. Optional Practical Training (OPT) is limited to F-1 students at SEVP-certified U.S. institutions. Students eyeing future work abroad should review official guidance from GOV.UK and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services before making assumptions about their options.
Applications for fall 2026 are being accepted at iit.edu/mumbai, and the university says it will roll out more details on faculty, scholarships and course schedules in the coming weeks. Prospective applicants should dig into the admissions and fee information on the official site and reach out to Illinois Tech’s Mumbai admissions team with specific questions about programs, timelines and support.
