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The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) has announced plans to establish its first-ever overseas sub-campus in the United States, in partnership with the State University of New York (SUNY) at Old Westbury on Long Island, New York. The collaboration was formalised through a Letter of Intent signed by IIT Bombay Director Prof. Shireesh Kedare and SUNY Old Westbury President Dr. Timothy E. Sams, in the presence of Consul General Binaya S. Pradhan. The sub-campus is expected to be operational by 2027, beginning with certificate courses in artificial intelligence, sustainability, and clean technology, with full degree programmes planned to follow.
IIT Bombay to Open Its First-Ever US Campus
IIT Bombay's announcement marks a significant milestone in India's higher education expansion internationally. The sub-campus will be housed within the SUNY Old Westbury campus in Long Island and will initially offer engineering education and certificate programmes. IIT Bombay Director Prof. Shireesh Kedare noted that SUNY Old Westbury's absence of an existing engineering department made the arrangement particularly complementary, giving the partnership a clear and non-duplicative academic purpose.
India's Ambassador to the US (Vinay Mohan Kwatra) and Higher Education Secretary (Dr. Vineet Joshi) also attended the announcement virtually alongside Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan welcomed the development, calling it a living corridor of knowledge between India and the United States and describing it as a win-win for students and academics in both countries. The initiative is backed by IIT Bombay's extensive alumni base in the United States, which is expected to provide institutional and professional support to the new campus.
Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
Partnership | IIT Bombay and State University of New York (SUNY) at Old Westbury |
Sub-campus Location | SUNY Old Westbury campus, Long Island, New York, United States |
Expected Opening | By 2027 |
Initial Offerings | Certificate courses in Artificial Intelligence, Sustainability, and Clean Technology |
Future Plans | Full academic and degree programmes to follow certificate courses |
Formalisation | Letter of Intent (LoI) signed by IIT Bombay Director Prof. Shireesh Kedare and SUNY Old Westbury President Dr. Timothy E. Sams |
Key Facilitator | Consul General Binaya S. Pradhan |
Research Plans | Dedicated research laboratories on the SUNY Old Westbury campus; joint research projects and faculty exchanges |
Target Students | Students from India, the United States, and other nations |
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Why Is IIT Bombay Expanding to the United States?
IIT Bombay's decision to set up a US sub-campus is driven by a combination of strategic, academic, and geopolitical factors. India's IITs have long trained talent that goes on to work and research in the United States; a physical academic presence there formalises this relationship and creates structured pathways for student and faculty exchange that currently depend on individual bilateral arrangements.
Mutual academic advantage: SUNY Old Westbury does not currently have an engineering department. IIT Bombay's expertise in engineering and technology directly fills that gap, giving SUNY students access to world-class STEM teaching while giving IIT Bombay an established US institutional home. Prof. Kedare explicitly cited this complementarity as central to why the partnership makes sense for both sides.
Strategic focus areas: The initial curriculum is focused on artificial intelligence, environmental sustainability, and clean technology, three domains where both India and the United States are investing heavily through national policy and private sector demand. These fields also align with the kinds of roles IIT Bombay alumni in the US are most likely to occupy, strengthening the pipeline from the new campus into the professional ecosystem.
Broader India-US education ties: The partnership builds on a growing momentum of academic collaboration between India and the United States following the India-US educational dialogue in 2023 and 2024. India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 also encourages Indian institutions to globalise, and IIT Bombay's US sub-campus is a direct manifestation of that policy direction.
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Where Will the IIT Bombay US Sub-Campus Be Located?
The IIT Bombay US sub-campus will be set up within the existing campus of the State University of New York at Old Westbury, located on Long Island in New York State. Old Westbury is a suburban community in Nassau County, approximately 35 kilometres east of Manhattan, making it accessible to New York City's large Indian-origin professional and alumni community.
SUNY Old Westbury has over 4,700 current students and more than 39,000 alumni built over its six-decade history. The university has a strong base in liberal arts and professional education but has not had a formal engineering programme, making IIT Bombay's technical expertise a direct and substantial complement to the existing institution. Plans include dedicated research laboratories being set up on the SUNY Old Westbury campus as part of the collaboration.
Why Long Island specifically: Long Island has a significant Indian-origin population, including many IIT alumni working in technology, finance, and research. The location gives the new campus proximity to New York City's academic institutions, major employers, and professional networks while providing a campus environment distinct from the city itself. IIT Bombay's alumni are expected to be active participants in supporting the campus through mentorship, industry connections, and institutional engagement.
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How Will the New US Campus Benefit Students?
The IIT Bombay US sub-campus creates a new category of academic opportunity that did not previously exist for students at either institution. The collaboration is structured in phases: certificate courses first, followed by full academic programmes as the partnership matures. The table below presents the concrete benefits for different groups of students, faculty, and the broader academic ecosystem.
Beneficiary | How They Benefit |
|---|---|
Indian students at IIT Bombay | Access to US-based research labs, faculty exchange programmes, and joint academic events; IIT Bombay academic credential with US research exposure |
Indian students aspiring to study in the US | A pathway to IIT Bombay programmes taught on US soil, potentially easing the transition to a US academic environment |
US students at SUNY Old Westbury | Access to IIT Bombay's engineering and technology expertise; SUNY currently lacks an engineering department, making this collaboration directly additive |
Faculty at both institutions | Joint research opportunities, exchange visits, and collaboration in AI, sustainability, and clean technology domains |
IIT Bombay alumni in the US | Institutional support to a campus geographically closer to where many of them are based professionally; alumni expected to play a support role in the new campus |
India-US research ecosystem | Formalized academic corridor for cross-border knowledge exchange in deep technology areas aligned with both countries' strategic priorities |
On the phased approach: Beginning with certificate courses rather than full degree programmes is a deliberate strategy. It allows both institutions to build operational systems, identify faculty needs, and test student demand before committing to the infrastructure and regulatory requirements of full degree programmes in a foreign jurisdiction. Prof. Kedare indicated that certificate courses are planned from 2027, with degree programmes to follow as the collaboration deepens.
What This Means for IIT Bombay's Global Expansion
IIT Bombay's US sub-campus is part of a broader trend of IITs expanding internationally. IIT Madras became the first IIT to open a full overseas campus, in Zanzibar, Tanzania. IIT Delhi has established an academic presence in Abu Dhabi. IIT Bombay's US campus will be the first IIT presence in the United States, and given the concentration of IIT alumni and India-origin talent in the US, it is arguably the most strategically significant international step any IIT has taken.
IIT | International Presence |
|---|---|
IIT Madras | International campus in Zanzibar, Tanzania; the first IIT to establish a full overseas campus |
IIT Delhi | Academic presence in Abu Dhabi, UAE |
IIT Bombay | Sub-campus being set up at SUNY Old Westbury, Long Island, New York (by 2027); first IIT campus in the United States |
The move also signals a broader shift in how India's premier technical institutions see themselves in the global education landscape. For decades, IITs were primarily feeder institutions for international talent, with graduates moving to the US, Europe, and Singapore for graduate studies and careers. The opening of a US sub-campus marks a reversal of that dynamic: IIT Bombay is now taking its academic identity to where much of its talent already goes, rather than waiting for that talent to come back.
What it means for JEE aspirants: For students currently preparing for JEE and aspiring to study at IIT Bombay, the US sub-campus adds a new dimension to the value of the IIT Bombay brand. In the coming years, an IIT Bombay degree may increasingly come with direct exposure to US academic institutions, US research labs, and a formalised alumni network on both continents. This does not change the admission process for the main Mumbai campus through JEE Advanced and JoSAA, but it broadens what an IIT Bombay education can eventually look like for students who want international research exposure.
IIT Bombay to Open Its First-Ever US Campus: Conclusion
The IIT Bombay US Campus marks a major step in India’s global higher education journey. With its planned location at SUNY Old Westbury in New York, the campus will give students access to IIT Bombay’s academic strength in areas like Artificial Intelligence, Sustainability, and Clean Technology. The first phase will begin with certificate courses, while full degree programmes are expected to follow later.
For Indian students and JEE aspirants, this development strengthens the global value of the IIT Bombay brand. Although it does not change the JEE Advanced admission process for the Mumbai campus, it shows how IITs are expanding beyond India and creating stronger international academic, research, and alumni opportunities.
