What's driving the growth behind Indian students to France?

France is one of the few favourite European countries chosen by Indian students for higher studies. In 2021-22, more than 4,00,000 foreign students opted for higher education in France, out of which 10,000 students were from India. 

French management universities are at par with UK, USA, Canada?

The country now aims to attract 20,000 Indian students by 2025, targeting most of them to enrol in Business schools and Management Universities in ‘L’Hexagone’. According to the Financial Times’ last 6 annual rankings, French universities are glued to their spot in the top 25% of the total 100 Masters in Management programmes.

France has been making efforts to not lose its position in the rankings while attracting more Indian students to its B-schools, challenging the already-set countries like the USA, the UK, and Canada.

“The reasons behind the great results come from a high level of theoretical knowledge, along with an emphasis on experiential learning,” said Maud Le Bars, South Asia Area Manager, Rennes School of Business. She added that it is mandatory for students to take part in at least one of the available student associations for better exposure and professional experience.

Educational relations between India and France

Many universities from France have set up their centres in India. Such universities have developed several programs and initiatives catering to more Indian students.

“With the NEP 2020 opening up plenty of knowledge-sharing avenues, we will see more international universities setting up satellite campuses in India. Currently, there are a couple of French universities that have set up campuses in partnership with local Indian universities,” said Nilesh Gaikwad, Country Manager, India, Edhec Business School.

Meanwhile, an Indian student from France shared his experience of pursuing higher studies in the European country. Vishnu Nair, an MSc student from Rennes said, “France has a good standard of living and career growth opportunities in different industries. However, language may be a barrier for some students.”

In recent years, France has witnessed a rise in the number of English-speaking students, and courses with English as their instructional language, making the country a considerate choice for Indian students in the years to come.