India invites French higher education institutions to open branch campuses, including at GIFT City

28 September 2026

Union Minister for Education Pralhad Joshi held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi with France's Minister for Higher Education, Research and Space, Philippe Baptiste. French higher educational institutions were invited to explore setting up branch campuses in India, including at GIFT City in Gujarat and at locations where French companies need skilled technical manpower. Joshi said the India-France Year of Innovation 2026 offered an opportunity to deepen collaboration in education, research and innovation. The two sides discussed student, faculty and researcher mobility, collaborative academic programmes and cooperation in life sciences, social sciences and humanities. They also reviewed the ongoing revision of the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ) Agreement between India and France. Language learning, teacher education and technology-enabled digital learning were the other areas taken up.