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Bangalore, Aug 1: The country's first University for Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Non-Resident Indians (NRI) is taking wings on a sprawling 100-acre campus near the Bengaluru International Airport at Devanahalli.

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs has selected the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) Trust to set up the university, specially to cater to the burgeoning Indian diaspora. MAHE will develop the university in three phases at a cost of Rs 575 crore.

The multi-disciplinary, selffinancing university will reserve 50 per cent of the seats to PIOs, 15 per cent to NRIs and the rest to Indian students, pro-chancellor of Manipal University H S Ballal, told this website's newspaper.

“We will be setting up a special trust to run the university and classes are likely to commence by 2010-11. Apart from Indians, we will also have NRIs as trustees.

We will present a detailed project report before the Ministry, seeking assistance in acquiring land required for the University and deemed university status,” Ballal said.

In the first phase, the PIO/NRI University will offer courses in engineering, information technology, humanities, biotechnology and MBA.

Subsequently, a medical college with an intake of 100 seats attached to a multi-speciality hospital will also be set up.

The idea of setting up an exclusive university for PIOs/NRIs was first mooted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in 2006.

Following the announcement, the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) from educational trusts across the country.

MAHE Trust was selected from a final shortlist of three institutions in May this year. Other two Trusts were Hinduja Trust in Mumbai and Kadammanitta Charitable Trust in Kerala.