In response to the chronic shortage of land, the Maharashtra state government has cleared the establishment of the first  Vertical University Campuses (VUCs) in Mumbai and Thane.

The decision was taken at  a state cabinet meeting last week and it makes Maharashtra the first state in India to adopt this  innovative mode of university infrastructure.

In abroad, mixed-use vertical campuses with  green credentials, are gaining popularity as new developments strive to deliver “higher learning”.

With the city falling short of large land pockets, establishing an educational institution with a central building, huge lawn, snaking academic corridors and convocation hall seems unlikely for entrepreneurs. Keeping the city’s reality in mind, the state has decided to approve setting up Vertical University Campus (VUC) in Mumbai city and Thane which would require much less land than traditional universities.