France aims to have 30,000 Indian students in its universities by 2030, President Emmanuel Macron, who is the chief guests at India’s 75th Republic Day celebrations, said on January 26.
The goal is part of a larger effort to strengthen academic ties between the two countries and enhance France's relationship with India, a "key partner" in the Indo-Pacific region, the visiting French leader posted on the X platform, formerly Twitter.
"30,000 Indian students in France in 2030.It’s a very ambitious target, but I am determined to make it happen," Macron posted.
France will streamline the visa process for former Indian students, making it easier for them to return, he said.
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited France in July 2023, it was announced that France was looking to have 20,000 Indian students by 2025 to pave the way for the larger goal.
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The French government launched "Campus France" in 2018, which provides information and support to Indian students interested in studying in France. Since its launch, the number of Indian students studying in France has gone up by 20 percent.
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The two countries have been working to strengthen bilateral ties that go several decades back. France is India’s second-largest arms supplier and talks are on for buying more Rafale fighter jets and Scorpene class submarines.
Macron arrived in Jaipur on January 25 where Modi met him and held a roadshow with him the evening.
Macron was presented a replica of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir and also enjoyed masala chai before holding bilateral talks.
Their discussions focused on further consolidating strategic cooperation in defene, security, trade, and clean energy.
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The India-France Strategic Partnership, the first that India signed with any western country, has seen considerable progress in bilateral, regional, and international contexts.
The comprehensive roadmap, adopted during Modi’s last visit to France as the guest of honour for the Bastille Day, was classified under three pillars: Partnership for Security and Sovereignty, Partnership for the Planet, and Partnership for People.
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