India and France held high-level talks on September 28 to deepen cooperation in higher education, research and student mobility.

Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi met his French counterpart in New Delhi, where the two sides discussed joint research programs, institutional partnerships and smoother pathways for students moving between the two countries.

A standout proposal is an IIT campus in Nice, which would mark a major expansion of India’s premier engineering brand into Europe. France is already one of the top European destinations for Indian students, and officials want to grow those numbers.

The meeting reflects the broader strategic partnership between the two countries, now extending from defense and space into classrooms and laboratories. Follow-up working groups will turn the talking points into concrete agreements.

France hosts one of the largest Indian student communities in continental Europe, drawn by English-taught programs and post-study work options. Both ministers stressed that academic exchanges strengthen the wider strategic partnership.