As the southern Indian state prepares a policy to attract overseas universities, Birmingham told The PIE News it currently has no plans to establish a campus in India, while London reported no new developments beyond its August statement acknowledging discussions about opportunities in Hyderabad.
The responses come as Telangana seeks to make international education part of a wider urban and economic development program south of Hyderabad.
Known as Bharat Future City, the project is envisaged as a hub for sectors including technology, healthcare and education, alongside housing and other infrastructure.
At an October 5 review meeting, Telangana chief secretary Sanjay Jaju directed officials to formulate a comprehensive framework to attract international educational institutions, according to Indian media reports.
Officials reportedly told the meeting that London, Birmingham and four other international universities had expressed interest in establishing campuses in Future City.
The proposed policy would cover infrastructure, investment, approvals and academic programs, with Jaju also calling for consultations with prospective institutions and a clear action plan ahead of the state’s upcoming global summit.
As a global university, we regularly explore opportunities to work with partners around the world, but we currently have no plans for establishing a University of Birmingham campus in India
University of Birmingham spokesperson
The government’s stated ambition is to widen access to international-standard education, research and skills development within Telangana. Its university outreach builds on Hyderabad’s established concentration of technology, pharmaceutical and aerospace businesses.
Birmingham, however, said a campus was not currently part of its India plans. “As a global university, we regularly explore opportunities to work with partners around the world, but we currently have no plans for establishing a University of Birmingham campus in India,” a university spokesperson told The PIE.
While Birmingham’s statement does not rule out other partnerships or clarify whether earlier campus discussions took place, a July Times of India report, citing state government sources, had linked it to a possible sports-focused campus.
London’s response was more limited, referring The PIE to its existing public position. “Our position remains as set out in our August news story so there are no new developments to share at this stage,” the university said.
That August 24 announcement followed a meeting at Senate House with a Telangana delegation led by chief minister A Revanth Reddy. The university described discussions about its work in Hyderabad and opportunities to deepen collaboration in higher education, skills development and innovation.
The announcement acknowledged a growing partnership with the state but did not identify a Future City site, confirm a University Grants Commission (UGC) application or set out an opening timetable.
The initiative follows months of reported outreach, with July media reports suggesting that around 15 universities from the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand had expressed interest in establishing campuses across Telangana, particularly in and around Hyderabad.
Purdue, Northeastern, Newcastle, Chichester, Hertfordshire and Waikato were among the institutions named as exploring opportunities or holding discussions across Telangana, beyond the Future City development.
A more concrete step towards an international university presence in Telangana has come from the University of Colorado Denver, which has received a letter of intent from the UGC for a Hyderabad campus.
As previously reported, CU Denver aims to begin teaching in August 2027, subject to final regulatory approval. Business, engineering, computing and analytics would form its initial academic offering, with its location and cohort size still being determined.
Global education company Emeritus will support the campus as its strategic joint venture partner, handling non-academic functions, with admissions expected to open after final UGC approval.
The project also illustrates that a Hyderabad campus does not necessarily mean participation in Future City. Chancellor Kenneth T. Christensen said CU Denver was seeking an accessible location near employers to support industry partnerships but stopped short of linking the campus to the development.
“We are aware of Telangana’s plans related to the Future City development and look forward to learning more about these future aspirations,” he previously told The PIE.
