In a significant push to strengthen academic mobility between India and France, French President Emmanuel Macron on February 19 reiterated that France aims to host 30,000 Indian students by 2030. The target was first announced in 2023, nearly a month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Paris as the chief guest at France's National Day celebrations. The student mobility initiative forms part of the people-to-people pillar of the India-France strategic partnership.
Following the announcement, the French Embassy in India introduced several measures to attract Indian students, including a five-year short-stay Schengen visa. It also proposed the creation of "international classes" - specialised programmes offering intensive French language training along with academic preparation.
Reaffirming the commitment during the launch of the Indo-French Centre for AI in Health at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Macron said France would streamline visa and administrative procedures to better support students, particularly those pursuing long-term programmes such as PhDs.
"It's very important for us to welcome more Indian students and to have more French students coming here. We speak about 10,000 per year. We decided with Prime Minister Modi to have 30,000 by 2030," he said.
The Indo-French Centre for AI in Health has been set up under a joint memorandum of understanding between AIIMS New Delhi, Sorbonne University and the Paris Brain Institute. The collaboration also includes Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and other French institutions.
The centre was inaugurated by Macron and Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda during the President's visit to India. It will focus on advancing artificial intelligence-driven research, medical education and clinical innovation, particularly in brain health and global healthcare systems.
Calling for technological self-reliance, Macron said India and France must build "their own trusted AI systems" and reduce dependence on technologies developed elsewhere.
"India and France are committed to developing the computing capacity and talent necessary to build our own trusted AI systems, as we cannot rely solely on technologies created and managed elsewhere," he said.
He also stressed the need for responsible governance of artificial intelligence. "Artificial Intelligence must serve humanity with strong protections for children, transparency in algorithms to address bias, and a firm commitment to preserving linguistic and cultural diversity," he added.
