Visa-free transit, simplified visa: France targets 30,000 Indian students by 2030, announces Macron
Addressing high-level academic and scientific meetings at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Macron underlined France’s intent to deepen educational ties with India
- Feb 19, 2026,
- Updated Feb 19, 2026 8:11 AM IST
France is opening the door wider for Indian students. Speaking in New Delhi, President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will simplify visa and sourcing procedures and expand English-taught courses as part of an ambitious push to triple Indian student numbers by 2030.
Addressing high-level academic and scientific meetings at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Macron underlined France’s intent to deepen educational ties with India.
“We want to welcome more Indian students and have more French students coming here. We are currently speaking about 10,000 per year. We have decided with Prime Minister Modi to increase this number to 30,000 per year by 2030. From the French side, we will simplify the sourcing and the visa process,” Macron said.
The announcement came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron elevated bilateral ties to a “Special Global Strategic Partnership.”
Macron is on an official visit to India from February 17 to 19, 2026, at the invitation of PM Modi. The two leaders jointly launched the India-France Year of Innovation 2026 in Mumbai on February 17. This is Macron’s fourth visit to India and follows PM Modi’s trip to France in February 2025.
Education, innovation and mobility
On education, the two leaders reaffirmed their shared goal of welcoming 30,000 Indian students to France by 2030, up from around 10,000 at present. They appreciated the International Classes initiative, which helps Indian students prepare for French universities.
They also welcomed a new Mumbai hub bringing together ESSEC Business School and CentraleSupélec, along with upcoming revisions to the agreement on mutual recognition of academic qualifications.
According to the India–France joint statement, both sides welcomed the upcoming visa-free transit facility for Indian nationals through French airports, which will be reviewed after a six-month pilot period.
The India-France Year of Innovation 2026 will see collaboration in science, technology, AI, healthcare, sustainable development, culture and education. A binational centre on digital sciences and technology between INRIA and India’s Department of Science and Technology is set to open.
The leaders also looked forward to launching a research centre dedicated to AI in healthcare, bringing together Sorbonne University, AIIMS New Delhi and the Paris Brain Institute.
France is opening the door wider for Indian students. Speaking in New Delhi, President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will simplify visa and sourcing procedures and expand English-taught courses as part of an ambitious push to triple Indian student numbers by 2030.
Addressing high-level academic and scientific meetings at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Macron underlined France’s intent to deepen educational ties with India.
“We want to welcome more Indian students and have more French students coming here. We are currently speaking about 10,000 per year. We have decided with Prime Minister Modi to increase this number to 30,000 per year by 2030. From the French side, we will simplify the sourcing and the visa process,” Macron said.
The announcement came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron elevated bilateral ties to a “Special Global Strategic Partnership.”
Macron is on an official visit to India from February 17 to 19, 2026, at the invitation of PM Modi. The two leaders jointly launched the India-France Year of Innovation 2026 in Mumbai on February 17. This is Macron’s fourth visit to India and follows PM Modi’s trip to France in February 2025.
Education, innovation and mobility
On education, the two leaders reaffirmed their shared goal of welcoming 30,000 Indian students to France by 2030, up from around 10,000 at present. They appreciated the International Classes initiative, which helps Indian students prepare for French universities.
They also welcomed a new Mumbai hub bringing together ESSEC Business School and CentraleSupélec, along with upcoming revisions to the agreement on mutual recognition of academic qualifications.
According to the India–France joint statement, both sides welcomed the upcoming visa-free transit facility for Indian nationals through French airports, which will be reviewed after a six-month pilot period.
The India-France Year of Innovation 2026 will see collaboration in science, technology, AI, healthcare, sustainable development, culture and education. A binational centre on digital sciences and technology between INRIA and India’s Department of Science and Technology is set to open.
The leaders also looked forward to launching a research centre dedicated to AI in healthcare, bringing together Sorbonne University, AIIMS New Delhi and the Paris Brain Institute.