- 101 Indian students, including 50% women, win full Erasmus+ scholarships for 2025, continuing India’s lead as top global recipient.
- Awardees will pursue joint degrees across 19 European countries, with France, Spain, and Belgium hosting the highest numbers.
- Erasmus+ highlights strong EU-India ties in areas like AI, sustainability, public policy, and nuclear safety, empowering next-gen global leaders.
India has once again made a significant mark in the Erasmus+ programme, with 101 Indian students half of them women securing scholarships for two-year master’s courses in Europe, beginning in 2025. The Delegation of the European Union to India revealed that India remains the largest beneficiary of these prestigious awards since 2014, consistently ranking among the top recipients.
These scholarships fund the entire range of academic fees, such as tuition, travel, and living expenses, which allow students to pursue studies at two or more European universities and earn dual, double, or multiple degrees. The 2025 cohort is distributed over 19 countries in Europe, with France having the largest number (24 students), then Spain (12), Belgium (8), Portugal (8), Germany (7), Italy (5), and other countries such as Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Estonia, Netherlands, Croatia, Greece, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Ireland, and Latvia.
A recent pre-departure ceremony in New Delhi assembled the awardees, EU delegations, alumni, and academic partners. EU Ambassador Herve Delphin praised the programme, referring to Erasmus+ as a doorway to "personal and professional development" and emphasizing Europe-India collaboration. He reminded that more than 90,000 Indian students are now undergoing higher education in Europe due to its highly recognized educational standards, cultural richness, and affordability.
The choice of these students from 20 Indian states reflects the joint priorities of the EU and India and includes areas such as sustainability, artificial intelligence, public policy, intellectual property law, engineering, food security, and safe nuclear applications prominently. Over 2,200 Indian students have availed themselves of the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship since the Erasmus+ program opened to global candidates in 2004, and over 6,000 short- and long-term scholarships have been granted under the Erasmus+ scheme.
The new Erasmus+ phase (2021-2027) with its ambitious budget of €26.2 billion provides broad opportunities for education, research, youth development, and sport. With over 4,000 organisations and 17.5 million European tertiary students, the programme is a symbol of academic brilliance and global collaboration. Through this success, these 101 scholars demonstrate the might and promise of the India‑Europe higher education partnership.
