1 week ago
France Expands India Education Outreach Targeting 30,000 Students By 2030
France wants more students from India to study at French universities and colleges.
It plans to welcome 30,000 Indian students by 2030.
To help, more than 50 French institutions will visit four Indian cities in October.
The tour will stop in Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi and Bengaluru.
Students and families can ask about courses, scholarships, visas and housing.
Indian student numbers in France have been growing.
One count recorded 9,100 students in 2024-25, while a broader count recorded 12,000 in 2025.
The two countries also want to work more closely in innovation and artificial intelligence.
Campus France will take more than 50 French institutions to Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi and Bengaluru in October.
The Choose France Tour will run from October 11 to October 17.
Indian enrolment in French higher education reached 9,100 in 2024-25, while broader 2025 visa and residence data counted 12,000 students.
France aims to host 30,000 Indian students by 2030 as education becomes a priority in bilateral cooperation.
The tour will offer guidance on courses, scholarships, visas, accommodation and student life in France.
- Who
- Campus France and more than 50 French higher-education institutions, with support from France and India.
- What
- France is expanding education outreach in India through the four-city Choose France Tour and is targeting 30,000 Indian students by 2030.
- Where
- Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi and Bengaluru, with students ultimately studying in France.
- When
- The tour is scheduled for October 11, 13, 15 and 17; the student target is for 2030.
- Why
- France and India are deepening cooperation in higher education, innovation and artificial intelligence, while France seeks to increase Indian student enrolment.
Key facts
- Student target
- France aims to host 30,000 Indian students by 2030.
- Current enrolment
- Campus France reported 9,100 Indian students in French higher education in 2024-25.
- Broader 2025 count
- Visa and residence-permit data counted 12,000 Indian students in 2025, including exchange students and shorter-programme participants.
- Tour dates
- Mumbai: October 11; Pune: October 13; New Delhi: October 15; Bengaluru: October 17.
- Participating institutions
- More than 50 French institutions are taking part, including engineering, business and public universities.
- Student assistance
- Campus France India will provide information on courses, scholarships, visas, accommodation and student life.
- Bilateral initiatives
- France and India signed 19 innovation-related agreements, adopted the India-France Innovation Roadmap 2030 and established a Joint India-France AI Working Group.
Quotes
Thierry Mathou
French Ambassador to India
“Our target to host 30,000 Indian students in France by 2030 transcends mere statistics; it represents an endeavour to foster a future engineer, researcher or entrepreneur who will help carry the France-India Special Global Strategic Partnership forward. Choose France is where that future begins.”
NDTV
“French institutions of higher education offer outstanding programmes focused on innovation, artificial intelligence, aerospace and management, training students for a promising career not only in France but also in the international job market.”
NDTV










