Canada Announces ₹921 Crore Scholarships For Indian Students Under New Education Pact; 13 Academic MOUs Signed

Canada has launched a massive scholarship drive for Indian students. The country has made a $100 million (INR ₹921 Crore) scholarship commitment as part of its new reset in education ties with India.

This announcement has been made on March 2 by the office of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. In this office, new initiatives are being taken to strengthen ties with India in the fields of education and research. At the core of this new initiative is the massive financial commitment made by the University of Toronto for Indian students.

Up to 200 Fully Funded Scholarships

According to the official statement, the $100 million (INR ₹921 Crore) allocation will be used to provide up to 200 fully funded scholarships for Indian students. It is expected that these scholarships will include tuition fees and other essential costs, thus providing relief to Indian students.

Fully funded scholarships at global institutions are very competitive, and the allocation of such scholarships indicates the intent of institutions to attract the best talent from India.

While specific eligibility criteria and timelines are expected to be released by the university, officials indicated that the scholarships will form part of a larger talent strategy linking Indian and Canadian institutions more closely.

New Academic Partnerships

The scholarship announcement is part of a broader talent strategy that includes deeper collaboration between Indian and Canadian institutions.

As part of the new measures, 13 Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) have been signed between universities in both countries. These agreements focus on student and faculty exchanges, joint academic programmes, dual-degree pathways and collaborative research projects.

Institutions such as the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and Dalhousie University have entered partnerships with Indian universities including O.P. Jindal Global University, SRM Institute of Science and Technology and others.

The collaborations are expected to expand research in areas such as artificial intelligence, clean energy, agriculture, public health and management. Some agreements also explore pathway programmes that would allow Indian students to begin studies in India and transition to Canada.