IIT Bombay signed a Letter of Intent with the State University of New York (SUNY) at Old Westbury on June 26, 2026, to launch joint academic programmes and research initiatives in engineering, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies. The partnership, formalised during a virtual meeting attended by India’s Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other senior officials, will offer courses from SUNY Old Westbury’s campus on Long Island, New York. It marks IIT Bombay’s first overseas sub-campus, bringing one of India’s premier engineering institutes into the American higher education landscape.
Understanding the Partnership
The Letter of Intent (LoI) was signed by IIT Bombay Director Prof. Shireesh Kedare and SUNY Old Westbury President Dr. Timothy E. Sams in the presence of India’s Consul General in New York, Binaya S. Pradhan. The virtual signing ceremony was also attended by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Secretary of Higher Education Dr. Vineet Joshi, and India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra. The LoI is currently in effect and will remain valid through April 2031.
The partnership will focus on creating new academic offerings at undergraduate, postgraduate, and research levels in science and engineering, with a strong emphasis on artificial intelligence and other emerging fields. Early areas of cooperation include visits and exchanges of faculty members and researchers between the two institutions, joint research activities, and the organisation of joint conferences and academic symposia. These initial efforts will proceed while the two sides work on developing full degree programmes.
The first academic offerings are expected to begin in 2027, starting with certificate courses in artificial intelligence, sustainability, and clean technology. Full degree programmes will follow in phases as the partnership matures. IIT Bombay Director Prof. Kedare clarified that admissions to these programmes will not be through India’s Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Advanced) and that the courses will be open to American students and students from around the world.
First Overseas Campus for IIT Bombay
This collaboration represents IIT Bombay’s first academic presence outside India and aligns with the institute’s strategic plan, unveiled in December 2025, which outlined its intention to establish a foothold in the United States. Rather than building a new campus from scratch, IIT Bombay chose to partner with an existing university, allowing it to focus on developing academic programmes without navigating complex land acquisition and regulatory approvals abroad.
The partnership will help SUNY Old Westbury, which currently does not offer engineering courses, build its engineering education capacity. IIT Bombay faculty will travel to New York to teach and help develop the curriculum, bringing the institute’s academic expertise to a new audience. The initiative is expected to become financially self-sustaining over time, with revenue from the programmes reinvested into strengthening research infrastructure, including advanced laboratories and new research centres on the Long Island campus.
IIT Bombay’s extensive alumni network in the United States is expected to support the initiative. The collaboration was facilitated by India’s Consul General in New York, Binaya Pradhan, who initiated discussions with SUNY Old Westbury.
About the Institutions
IIT Bombay, established in 1958, was the second Indian Institute of Technology to be founded, after IIT Kharagpur. Located on a 545-acre campus in Powai, Mumbai, it was set up with assistance from UNESCO and funding from the Soviet Union. The institute was granted the status of an Institution of Eminence in 2018 by the Ministry of Education. IIT Bombay has over 760 faculty members, more than 13,000 students, and an alumni network exceeding 75,000 graduates. The institute is governed under the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961, which declares all IITs as Institutions of National Importance.
SUNY Old Westbury, originally founded in 1965 as the State University of New York College at Old Westbury, became a university in 2023. It is one of 64 campuses of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, the largest comprehensive university system in the United States. The campus spans 605 acres on Long Island, about 22 miles from New York City. SUNY Old Westbury serves nearly 5,000 students and offers 45 undergraduate majors and 16 graduate degree programmes, with a strong emphasis on diversity and social mobility. The institution ranks among the top performers in social mobility in the US.
Key Takeaways
- IIT Bombay and SUNY Old Westbury signed a Letter of Intent on June 26, 2026, to collaborate in engineering, AI, and research.
- This is IIT Bombay’s first overseas sub-campus, to be located on Long Island, New York.
- The first certificate courses in AI, sustainability, and clean technology are expected to launch in 2027, with degree programmes to follow.
- The partnership is open to American and global students, not through JEE Advanced admissions.
- IIT Bombay, established in 1958, was the second IIT to be founded and was declared an Institution of Eminence in 2018.
- SUNY Old Westbury is one of 64 campuses of the SUNY system, the largest comprehensive university system in the United States.
