Hon’ble Ministers discuss academic mobility, institutional linkages, research collaboration, innovation and emerging areas of cooperation
French Minister H.E. Mr Philippe Baptiste is on a three-day visit to India from September 28 to 30, 2026
Union Minister for Education, Shri Pralhad Joshi, held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Philippe Baptiste, Minister for Higher Education, Research and Space of France, in New Delhi today. The two Ministers discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation between India and France in education, research, innovation, academic mobility and institutional partnerships.
Welcoming the French Minister and his delegation, Shri Pralhad Joshi highlighted the longstanding India-France partnership and emphasised that cooperation in education is an important pillar of the bilateral relationship. He said that the India-France Year of Innovation 2026 provides a timely opportunity to further deepen collaboration in education, research and innovation.
The Minister also thanked the Government of France for its support in hosting the inaugural edition of Bharat Innovates 2026 in Nice, France. The Bharat Innovates platform provided Indian deep-tech start-ups with an opportunity to showcase their innovations before a global audience and facilitated greater engagement between India and France in education, research, innovation and emerging technologies.
During the meeting, the two sides deliberated on the potential engagements in the field of higher education including strengthening institutional linkages, mobility of students, faculty and researchers, and expanding opportunities for collaborative academic programmes and exchanges. The also explored greater cooperation in life sciences, social sciences and humanities, with emphasis on institutional interaction, collaborative academic activities and research.
The Ministers exchanged views on further promoting research, innovation and knowledge partnerships between the two countries and discussed opportunities to build upon existing institutional collaborations and create new avenues for joint academic and research initiatives. French Higher Educational Institutions were invited to explore opening of branch campuses in India including in GIFT City, Gujarat and also at places where French companies are located and require technical human resources.
Acknowledging the importance of people to people ties, the two sides explored opportunities to strengthen language learning and teacher education, share academic expertise and promote technology-enabled learning. The discussions also covered ongoing revision of the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ) Agreement between India and France, sharing experiences and best practices in digital education and leveraging technology to expand access to quality learning.
The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to further deepen India-France cooperation in education, higher education, research, innovation, academic mobility, language education and digital learning.
