French president Macron says France to welcome 30,000 Indian students by 2030; check details here

Republic Day 2024: French President Emmanuel Macron, who is in India to attend the 75th Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi, has said that France is aiming to welcome 30,000 Indian students to its universities by 2030. 

He said that the nation will create new opportunities for students and streamline visa procedures for Indians who have previously studied there.

Stating his goal of welcoming 30,000 Indian students in France in 2030, Macron termed the project as a “very ambitious target", adding that he is “determined to make it happen". He also outlined how the goal will be met. 

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) during a visit to India, where he is attending the 75th Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest, Macron said the plan is part of an "ambitious" effort to strengthen France's relationship with India, which he called a "key partner" in the Indo-Pacific region. He had announced the target after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to France in July 2023.

"We are launching new pathways in order to learn French in public schools with the initiative 'French for All, French for a Better Future," Macron said.

Giving details about the plan, Macron said that international classes would be set up to allow students who do not speak French to study in universities there. “We are developing the network of Alliances francaises, with new centers to learn French. We are creating international classes which will allow students, who do not necessarily speak French, to join our universities,” Macron wrote.

Before this in 2018, the French government launched a programme called "Campus France", which provides information and support to Indian students interested in studying in France. The number of Indian students studying in France has increased by 20 per cent since it was launched.

India and France have been partners in many areas for many years. France was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with independent India immediately after 1947. France was one of the first countries to undertake nuclear cooperation with India, which predates even the 2008 civil nuclear agreement.

In 1998, the two nations established a strategic partnership that reached its 25th anniversary in 2023. Although they have had a longstanding relationship, it is only in the past ten years that cooperation between India and France has accelerated.

France is the second-largest supplier of arms of India after Russia. In July 2023, when PM Modi visited France, the two countries signed an initial agreement for the sale of 26 Rafale fighter jets and the joint production of three Scorpene-class submarines. 

France has become one of the main supporters of India's mission to promote indigenous defense production under the 'Make in India' initiative. Both countries are collaborating on the development of a combat aircraft engine through an agreement between India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and France's Safran Aircraft Engines.

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