Mumbai is reinforcing its position as a South Asian hub for technology and international education, following two major announcements on February 17, 2026. The Illinois Institute of Technology confirmed the launch of its first campus in Mumbai, while NetActuate expanded its cloud infrastructure services in the city.
Illinois Tech will establish its Mumbai campus at the Godrej Business District in Vikhroli, marking the first time a US university has opened a base in the city. The institute will offer US-accredited undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Computer Science, Data Science, Business and Artificial Intelligence. Within two months of the announcement, the university received over 1,000 enquiries from India, the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia.
Raj Echambadi, President of Illinois Tech, said, “The Mumbai campus is envisioned as a South Asian hub with a multicultural student cohort from the first year.” The curriculum will mirror that of its Chicago campus and degrees will be accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Notably, no additional Indian regulatory approvals are required.
Education consultants highlighted both opportunity and caution. Karan Gupta said, “India offers credible academics, English-medium education and lower costs, which makes it attractive. The challenge is delivery; smoother visas, housing and clearer career pathways are needed.” Dhaval Mehta noted, “These campuses can build a stronger ecosystem with global students and the Indian diaspora, but infrastructure and space constraints will determine success.” Joyce Issac added, “India has a cost advantage and strong academic base, but facilities, labs and student experience must match global campuses.”
Simultaneously, NetActuate upgraded its Mumbai Data Center through its Open Network Edge platform, offering public, private and hybrid cloud solutions. CEO Mark Mahle said, “NetActuate has had a presence in India for 10+ years and we’ve experienced continuous growth with our local and international partners. By enhancing our cloud platform in Mumbai with ONE capabilities and supporting customers with our Chennai PoP, we are giving enterprises and service providers the flexibility to choose the right mix of public, private, and hybrid cloud infrastructure while maintaining control over performance, cost, and data residency.”
Together, these developments underscore Mumbai’s growing influence in digital innovation and cross-border education.
Source: Evrim Agaci
