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Business Standard

Illinois Tech's Mumbai campus aims for 300-student inaugural batch in 2026

US-based Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) is beginning preparations for opening its Mumbai campus in fall next year with an initial intake of around 300 students, Raj Echambadi, president, Illinois Tech, told Business Standard in a video interview. 'The institute is expecting to begin site exploration, and recruitment of faculty and staff in the next two-to-three months, so that active recruitment of students can start for an intake in the next fall,' Echambadi added. Likening its upcoming Mumbai campus to a node in Illinois Tech's overall network, he said that many American students will get opportunities to study in India for a semester or a year, whereas many Indian students can go to the Chicago campus in exchange programmes. Key challenges for the institute could be the US administration's recent rules mandating social media vetting for student visa appointments, and President Donald Trump's recent run-ins with educational institutions. Calling it a short-term speed bump, Echambadi said there are not going to be many impediments, even for Indian students who come and study in the Chicago campus. Almost 20 per cent of the students in Illinois Tech's undergraduate (UG) and graduate programs are foreign students, of which close to 5-8 per cent are from India. 'There is anxiety among students and parents due to word of mouth. While I think there is going to be a very short-term dip in terms of student interest, there is no certainty that it is going to have a major impact in the long term,' he added. While at the Mumbai campus the institute will offer both UG and graduate degrees, most of its courses will focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Addressing concerns over fees, the institute said that while its tuition rates are still being finalised, they are looking at a cost range that would be very reasonable for the Indian market. 'Comparing it to the US cost, you are talking about one-third or a little over one-third of the cost that the students would pay at our India campus,' he said. Estimated tuition rates for an UG student at Illinois Tech is $51,648, according to the institution's website. Other additions such as housing, food, books, and transportation can inflate that bill to an estimated range of $64,894-77,624, depending on whether the student is living on or off campus. Echambadi added that the institute is working with its alumni network, and government scholarships to make affordability one of the key factors. 'Owing to the size of our Indian alumni, and because of the CSR (corporate social responsibility) rules in India, we are committed to fundraising in India in order to ensure that no qualified student in the country is ever turned away because of lack of access to resources,' he said. Illinois Tech's entry into India comes two years after the University Grants Commission (UGC) released rules facilitating the entry of foreign higher education institutions (HEIs) into the country as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 reforms. Under these regulations, foreign institutions seeking to establish campuses in India must rank within the top 500 globally — either overall or in specific subject areas — and demonstrate outstanding expertise in their fields, subject to UGC approval. While around 10-12 foreign HEIs, mostly British and Australian, have got letters of intent (LoIs) from the Union education ministry, Illinois Tech is currently the only American university to announce a campus in India. Speaking on the traction within US HEIs, Echambadi said that there is a lot of interest from American universities to come to India. 'We have had many calls from American universities asking us about the process we followed,' he added.