India’s first dedicated Artificial Intelligence university is Universal AI University, located in Karjat, Maharashtra. This private university officially began operations in August 2023, offering AI‑embedded education from day one IndiaAI+2Wikipedia+2Universal AI+2.
Where and When It Started
- Founded originally in 2009 as Universal Business School, it gained official university status in 2023 [[Universal AI University Act, 2022]] Wikipedia.
- The university started its academic journey on August 1, 2023, in a campus near Mumbai in Karjat, Maharashtra IndiaAIWikipedia.
Programs and Offerings
- It calls itself India’s first AI university, integrating AI, Machine Learning, and Data Science across disciplines not just engineering or tech, but also management, design, social sciences, sports sciences, law, and environment &sustainability India Today+2IndiaAI+2Universal AI+2.
- The curriculum is built on an 80% experiential learning model, with high-tech labs: Quantum Computing, IoT, AR/VR/MR, and a Global Trading Room backed by Thomson Reuters IndiaAI+1Universal AI+1.
- For the 2023–2024 session, about 80 students were enrolled in its first Indian intake India Today+2Wikipedia+2The Times of India+2.
Who It Serves
- If you’re into design, law, or even sports, you’ll find ways AI fits into what you’re studying it’s not treated like a separate subject.
- For people already working, there are shorter programs and advanced courses that show how AI connects to the stuff they deal with every day.
- Parents and families have choices: it’s a fully residential university with global exposure and experiential learning, delivered in simple English and accessible formats.
Why It Matters
- As India’s first university fully dedicated to AI, it sets the precedent for other institutes to follow.
- It’s multi-disciplinary, meaning students don’t just study computer science they learn AI applied across society, humanities, business, environment, and health navbharattimes.indiatimes.com+11IndiaAI+11Wikipedia+11.
- The learning model emphasizes hands-on training, working labs, and collaboration with industry and global leaders to prepare AI‑ready graduates The Times of India.
From Admission to Alumni
- Admission criteria vary by program and may involve entrance tests, academic scores, and interviews;as a private university, it sets its own standards but remains UGC- and AICTE-recognized Wikipedia+1Wikipedia+1.
- Though early, the university is aligned with India’s AI ambitions and education policies like NEP and Start‑up India, and supports industry connections from the outset India Today+6IndiaAI+6The Times of India+6.
Conclusion
In 2023, a new kind of university quietly began in Karjat, Maharashtra. Called Universal AI University, it’s the first in India built around the idea that artificial intelligence isn’t just for engineers it can be part of every field. You’ve got students studying business, maybe law, maybe design but tech isn’t just a side subject here. AI shows up in all of it. Classes lean less on textbooks, more on doing stuff: projects, labs, trying things out. It’s not your usual lecture-hall setup. Feels more like a place where you figure things out as you go useful if you’re trying to keep up with how fast things change now.