In a significant step towards strengthening academic ties between India and the United States, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay will establish its first sub-campus in the US at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Old Westbury. The initiative aims to deepen collaboration in engineering, multidisciplinary research, technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and other emerging fields while advancing the internationalisation of Indian higher education.
The first academic session at the proposed sub-campus is expected to begin in 2027.
The announcement was made during a virtual meeting between IIT Bombay Director Professor Shireesh Kedare and SUNY Old Westbury President Timothy E Sams in the presence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Welcoming the development, Mr Pradhan said, “I welcome the announcement of a Letter of Intent between IIT Bombay and SUNY Old Westbury to explore collaboration in engineering, multidisciplinary research, technology, and other emerging areas of the future.”
I welcome the announcement of a Letter of Intent between @iitbombay and @SUNYOldWestbury to explore collaboration in engineering, multidisciplinary research, technology and other emerging areas of the future. I appreciate the virtual participation of Ambassador @AmbVMKwatra,… pic.twitter.com/VsS4Qg8N27
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) June 26, 2026
According to an official release, “The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) and the State University of New York at Old Westbury have agreed to partner in the development of new educational and research opportunities that would be offered on the Long Island, New York, campus.”
The two institutions will work towards introducing new academic programmes across undergraduate, postgraduate, and research levels in science and engineering, with a focus on emerging fields such as artificial intelligence. They will also develop plans for collaborative research initiatives.
“IIT Bombay is excited to work with SUNY Old Westbury, whose leadership is committed to quality education and is forward-looking in its outlook,” Professor Kedare said.
“Considering that our strengths are complementary, we believe that our partnership has the ability to scale great heights,” he added.
SUNY Old Westbury President Timothy E Sams described IIT Bombay as a world-class institution and said the partnership would advance teaching, innovation, and excellence in disciplines such as physics and engineering.
“We are excited to establish a direct partnership that advances teaching, innovation, and excellence in disciplines like physics and engineering with a goal of creating a robust IIT Bombay presence on our campus so that together we can prepare the next generation of leaders who will fuel success across our region, state, nation, and world,” he said.
The initial areas of cooperation are expected to include faculty and researcher exchanges, joint research projects, and the organisation of conferences and symposia.
Speaking on the occasion, India’s Ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra, highlighted the importance of strengthening academic and technological cooperation between the two institutions and fostering deeper partnerships in research, innovation, and higher education.
Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Vineet Joshi, described the collaboration as “a new and proud chapter” in the India-US partnership in higher education and research.
Describing the partnership as a “living corridor of knowledge” between India and the United States, Pradhan said the collaboration would create mutually beneficial opportunities for students and academicians in both countries while supporting the development of cutting-edge technologies in frontier science.
He urged IIT Bombay and SUNY Old Westbury to work towards nurturing future-ready students and developing technologies that contribute to global progress.
About IIT Bombay
IIT Bombay is one of India’s premier engineering institutions and is known for the quality of its faculty, cutting-edge research, strong industry partnerships, and the academic excellence of its undergraduate and postgraduate graduates.
