Chief Minister Inaugurates University of Western Australia India, Mumbai Campus
Mumbai, September 2026 : The inauguration of the University of Western Australia (UWA) India, Mumbai Campus will give fresh impetus to the Maharashtra government’s efforts to develop Mumbai into a global hub for knowledge, innovation, technology and talent, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.
He described the launch as an important milestone towards creating future-oriented industrial and research ecosystems through world-class institutions, infrastructure and skilled human resources.
Chief Minister Fadnavis inaugurated the UWA India, Mumbai Campus. Premier of Western Australia Roger Cook, UWA Chancellor Dr Diane Smith-Gander, Vice-Chancellor Professor Amit Chakma, university officials, faculty members, students and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
Fadnavis said Maharashtra was proud that UWA, one of Australia’s leading research-intensive universities, had chosen Mumbai for its first campus in India. UWA has become the first university from Australia’s prestigious Group of Eight to establish a campus in India. He said the decision reflected Mumbai’s growing capabilities and importance on the global stage.
While Mumbai is already the country’s financial, commercial and entertainment capital, the state government’s objective is to transform it into a global knowledge and innovation hub for future generations, Fadnavis said. He added that the upcoming ‘Mumbai 3.0’ development project was being planned with an Education City, Medi-City, Innovation City, Global Capability Centre ecosystem and new centres for research and industrial development.
The Chief Minister said the National Education Policy 2020 had brought significant changes to India’s higher education sector and opened new avenues for international academic collaboration. Earlier, Indian students had to travel abroad for higher education, but leading global universities are now establishing campuses in India, with Maharashtra emerging as a key destination, he said.
Students at the UWA Mumbai Campus will have access not only to a world-class academic environment but also to the ecosystems of leading financial institutions, multinational corporations, technology companies, startups, researchers and entrepreneurs in the country, Fadnavis said.
He expressed hope that joint research and academic cooperation would expand in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, healthcare, critical minerals, clean energy, sustainable development and advanced manufacturing technologies.
Fadnavis said Western Australia possesses strong capabilities, while Maharashtra offers extensive talent and opportunities. Knowledge-based partnerships between the two regions, he said, could become an important pillar of India-Australia relations. He assured that the Maharashtra government would extend full cooperation to strengthen UWA’s partnership in the state’s development journey.
Western Australia Premier Roger Cook described the inauguration of the UWA campus in Mumbai as a historic milestone in relations between Western Australia and India, particularly Maharashtra. He said Mumbai had been a major centre of Western Australia’s engagement with India for the past 30 years, with strong partnerships developing in education, research, technology, industry and people-to-people ties.
Cook said the UWA Mumbai Campus would provide students with new opportunities in global education, research, industry collaboration and international careers. It would also further strengthen cooperation between India and Western Australia in knowledge, innovation and skill development, he added.
UWA Chancellor Dr Diane Smith-Gander said an investment of around 80 million Australian dollars had been made for the Mumbai and Chennai campuses, describing it as a symbol of the commitment to strengthening India-Australia relations. She said UWA would create new opportunities for the next generation of Indian students through quality education, with a focus on generating knowledge, opportunities and global connections through higher education.
Speaking to the media, Chief Minister Fadnavis referred to the efforts made over the past several days to facilitate the establishment of the UWA Mumbai Campus. Welcoming the university’s announcement of 100 per cent scholarships for three Indian students, he said the initiative would help reduce the foreign exchange expenditure associated with overseas education. He also said the university’s research-oriented activities would contribute to the state’s economy.
Fadnavis further said campuses of various universities were being established in the state’s proposed Education City and that around one lakh students would eventually study there.
