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French Ambassador to India, Thierry Mathou on Tuesday reaffirmed France's commitment to welcoming 30,000 Indian students by 2030, highlighting the growing people-to-people ties between the two countries as a key pillar of the India-France Special Global Strategic Partnership.
Speaking at the French National Day celebrations in New Delhi, Mathou said the strength of the bilateral partnership ultimately rests on the connections between students, researchers, entrepreneurs, artists and innovators. "Ultimately, the strength of any partnership lies in the connections between its people. Whether they are students, researchers, entrepreneurs, artists or innovators, these are the women and men who bring our partnership to life every day," he said. The Ambassador recalled how India and France hosted the largest-ever Indo-French academic and scientific gatherings in New Delhi in February last year, resulting in dozens of new university partnerships. "In Delhi last February, we hosted the largest Indo-French academic and scientific gatherings ever organised. Dozens of new university partnerships have been concluded this year, and we remain firmly committed to welcoming 30,000 Indian students to France by 2030," Mathou said. He also announced that India will host the Women's Forum for the Economy and Society for the first time this autumn, with Mumbai set to welcome around 400 women leaders from across the world. Highlighting the growing strategic partnership, Mathou said 2026 has been designated the India-France Year of Innovation, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron during the latter's visit to Mumbai in February. He noted that the initiative has strengthened cooperation across innovation, education, research and technology under the Horizon 2047 Roadmap, with over 100 events being organised across the two countries. Mathou also recalled Prime Minister Modi's visit to France in June, during which landmark events such as the Bharat Innovates Forum in Nice and the VivaTech Expo in Paris brought together the innovation ecosystems of both countries. The Ambassador said the two leaders also launched the Indo-French Innovation Network, a digital platform aimed at connecting academia, industry and civil society to foster long-term collaboration. Calling 2026 an "exceptionally dynamic year" for bilateral ties, Mathou thanked businesses, universities, researchers, artists and the French and Indian communities for strengthening the partnership. July 14 marks France's National Day, commemorating the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789 during the French Revolution, symbolising the democratic values of liberty, equality and fraternity. (ANI)
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