Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: India and Germany have inked a higher education roadmap that focuses on universities and student mobility marking a major step in the bilateral partnership. During German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s official visit to Gandhinagar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited foreign institutions to establish campuses in India.
Addressing a joint press conference, Modi said the roadmap would give new direction to education ties and encouraged universities to open campuses in India, according to reports by ANI. The move comes amid India’s ongoing efforts to expand regulatory pathways for foreign universities offering international curricula.
The Prime Minister stated, 'The comprehensive roadmap on higher education that we have developed today will give a new direction to our partnership in the field of education. I invite German universities to open their campuses in India.'
The roadmap goes beyond student exchanges by promoting the physical presence of foreign universities in India. For students, local campuses can reduce the cost and challenges of studying abroad while providing access to global-quality education at home. For institutions, campus presence allows deeper engagement in India’s academic and research ecosystem, fostering collaboration in teaching, research and applied training.
Student mobility is a key component of the roadmap. Germany announced visa-free transit for Indian passport holders, which the PM described as strengthening people-to-people ties. While this does not directly reform student visas, it reduces logistical hurdles for Indian students travelling to Europe for studies, research or academic collaboration, signalling smoother pathways for international mobility.
The roadmap also aligns higher education with skilling priorities. A National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Renewable Energy will be established at the National Skill Training Institute in Hyderabad linking academic learning with employment-focused training. Education cooperation is being positioned alongside technology, energy and defence as a long-term pillar of the India-Germany partnership.
