
India leads EU's Erasmus+ scholarship awards, 101 students, including 50 women, to pursue master's in Europe
The Erasmus+ programme, launched in 1987, stands for European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students. It is the European Union's (EU's) flagship initiative for international mobility and academic exchange.
The Delegation of the EU to India in a statement on Monday said "101 Indian students, including 50 women, have been awarded the prestigious Erasmus+ scholarships for two-year master's programme in Europe for the academic year starting 2025".
With this, India continues to be the largest recipient of the scholarship overall (since 2014) and ranks among the top three this year, further highlighting its strong and expanding academic partnership with the EU, it said.
Erasmus+ students typically study in at least two European universities and receive a joint, double or multiple degree.
The scholarship covers tuition, travel, and living expenses, providing the recipients with a unique opportunity to enhance their academic and professional pursuits, the statement said.
"This year's cohort continues the strong tradition of Indian participation, particularly in fields that reflect shared EU-India priorities such as sustainability, innovation, and inclusive development," it said.
This year's recipients represent 20 Indian states across India and will pursue a wide range of areas of focus, including sustainable urban development, artificial intelligence, migration and public policy, intellectual property law, food security, engineering, sustainable drug discovery, safe and reliable nuclear applications and more, the Delegation of the EU to India said in the statement.
To mark this achievement, the Delegation of the EU to India hosted a pre-departure ceremony in New Delhi, bringing together the selected scholars, EU Member State representatives, alumni and key stakeholders.
These scholarship recipients will soon depart for Europe to pursue their postgraduate degrees across multiple countries and disciplines.
Congratulating the students, EU Ambassador to India, Herve Delphin, said, "Erasmus+ is more than a scholarship, it's a passport for personal and professional growth and a window of opportunities in and with Europe."
For over 6,000 Indian students and scholars, it has opened doors to Europe's top universities and its incredibly diverse cultures, he said.
Delphin said the Indian students' strong performance shows how strong and vibrant the people-to-people ties have become between the EU countries and India and they are only getting stronger.
"Over 90,000 Indian students are studying in Europe, a clear sign of the trust and enthusiasm for what Europe offers.
These students are choosing Europe for its quality, diversity, and affordability and this shows why Europe has rightfully earned its place as one of the top global destinations for higher education," he added.
As Erasmus+ scholars, these individuals will not only enrich their own lives but also "become bridges between the EU and India", driving positive change and "deepening our bilateral relationship", the EU envoy said.
"Over the next two years, Indian students will have the opportunity to study in more than 19 EU countries, including, France (24), Spain (12), Belgium (8), Portugal (8), Germany (7), Italy (5), Poland (4), Czech Republic (4), Austria (3), Hungary (3), Estonia (3), Netherlands (2), Croatia (2), Greece (2), Denmark (1), Finland (1), Norway (1), Ireland (1) and Latvia (1)," the statement said.
Additionally, some students will pursue studies at affiliated universities across Europe and in non-European countries, it said.
India continues to be the largest beneficiary of the Erasmus+ programme, with over 2,200 students having received the prestigious Erasmus Mundus Scholarship since its inception in 2004. Over 6,000 Erasmus+ short and long-term Erasmus+ scholarships have been awarded to Indian students since the programme opened to international students, the statement said.
In recent years, women's participation from India has shown a "steady and encouraging rise", with near-equal representation among selected candidates becoming a consistent trend, it added.
Europe is home to over 4,000 higher education institutions, ranging from leading research establishments to smaller and teaching-focused colleges. With over 5,000 institutions, 17.5 million tertiary education students, 1.35 million educators and 1.17 million researchers, Europe is a thriving hub for higher education and cutting-edge research, the statement said.
"Now in its most ambitious phase (2021-2027), Erasmus+ is the world's largest mobility and academic exchange programme supporting education, training, youth, and sport. With a budget of Euro 26.2 billion (INR 2,09,694 crore), it offers opportunities for students, educators, researchers, and institutions worldwide to study, teach, train, and collaborate across borders," it said.
Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)

Business Standard
25 minutes ago
- Business Standard
US tariffs pose near-term challenges for auto component makers: ACMA
The decision to impose high tariffs on Indian goods by the US presents near-term challenges for the auto component makers, underscoring the importance of enhancing the sector's competitiveness and exploring new and diversified markets, industry body ACMA said on Thursday. On August 6, the US announced an additional 25 per cent tariff on all Indian imports, on top of an existing 25 per cent duty, taking the total to 50 per cent from August 27. "The recent decision by the US to impose higher and additional tariffs on certain imports from India, including auto components, underscores the shifting landscape of global trade," ACMA President Shradha Suri Marwah said in a statement. While this development presents near-term headwinds, for Indian exporters, it also underscores the importance of enhancing our sector's competitiveness, strengthening value addition, and exploring new and diversified markets, she added. The US is a significant trade partner of the Indian auto components industry. In FY 2024-25, it accounted for 27 per cent of the USD 22.9 billion auto components exports from India and 7 per cent of the USD 22.4 billion imports of auto components into India. ACMA is confident that the long-standing and strategic trade relationship between India and the US will serve as a strong foundation for continued dialogue and resolution, Marwah noted. "We appreciate the proactive stance of the Government of India in addressing the issue and remain hopeful that bilateral engagement will lead to constructive outcomes," she added. At the same time, this development reinforces the importance of building greater self-reliance, enhancing domestic value addition, and accelerating innovation within the sector, Marwah said. ACMA remains committed to working closely with the government and industry stakeholders to ensure India's auto component industry remains competitive, resilient, and future-ready, she stated. The Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) has over 1,100 manufacturers contributing more than 90 per cent of the auto component industry's turnover in the organised sector. In FY2025, the combined turnover of the auto component industry stood at USD 80.2 billion, with USD 22.9 billion in exports and a trade surplus of over USD 450 million. EY India Partner & Automotive Tax Leader Saurabh Agarwal stated the recent imposition of higher US tariffs presents a significant, albeit anticipated, challenge for Indian auto component manufacturers. While a 25 per cent duty was already in effect for the sector since May 3, 2025, and the additional reciprocal 25 per cent tariff effective August 2025 is not to apply to the majority of the automotive sector (as the majority of the automotive sector is excluded from reciprocal tariffs). However, even the initial 25 per cent duty imposed on the automotive sector by the US fundamentally alters the sector's competitive landscape for US exports in the short term. "This means we need to quickly adjust our plans to protect our strong export growth, especially since the US was one of our biggest markets for auto parts in FY2025," he noted. To lessen this impact, Indian manufacturers should actively look into setting up some production closer to the US, he added. Countries like Mexico and Canada, thanks to the USMCA trade agreement, allow Indian parts to enter the US without extra taxes if they meet certain local content rules, he said. This makes them attractive places to move part of our manufacturing to serve the US market, Agarwal said. At the same time, it's crucial to aggressively expand into other markets, he noted. "The new trade agreement with the UK, signed recently, gives us immediate tax-free access for most auto parts, which is a big advantage. We also need to push hard for a quick trade deal with the European Union, using the success of the UK agreement to help us," he said. Beyond that, the growing demand in developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America offers huge potential for long-term growth, he said. "By focusing on these new markets and making specialised, high-value parts that aren't tied to traditional engines, we can turn this challenge into a chance to become even more competitive globally and achieve lasting growth," Agarwal said.


Economic Times
25 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Ignore Trump's tantrums, focus on domestic strength: Porinju's mantra for investors
And as I said earlier, India is too big and too stable a country to be impacted by the whims of one individual—even someone like Mr. Trump and his unpredictable or childish behaviour. Porinju Veliyath of Equity Intelligence India suggests that tariff concerns are temporary and India's strong domestic economy and service exports offer opportunities. He advises investors to focus on domestic-focused companies, service exporters, and businesses in the AI segment. Despite market uncertainty, India's stability and growth potential make it resilient to external factors like unpredictable political behavior. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads "Everyone knows about Trump. Even those who voted for him acknowledge that he's a bit erratic, perhaps even uncivilized in some ways. The way he impulsively says things, makes sudden decisions—even ones with serious consequences for large nations like India—based on personal emotions or perceived insults, is not sustainable. This too shall pass," says Porinju Veliyath , Equity Intelligence it's true there's a lot of noise around the tariffs, but I believe this will be a passing phase. The world will continue to do business and engage in trade, with or without America. It's not a big issue. But we cannot respond to this whole crazy situation created by a rather unpredictable man with an emotional or sentimental has come a long way over the last decade as a stable and strong nation. We have our own individuality and personality. We have evolved significantly. Today, we are one of the strongest nations globally—not just in terms of the size of the economy, but also in terms of identity and maturity. We're not going to react to such developments emotionally or based on temporary knows about Trump. Even those who voted for him acknowledge that he's a bit erratic, perhaps even uncivilized in some ways. The way he impulsively says things, makes sudden decisions—even ones with serious consequences for large nations like India—based on personal emotions or perceived insults, is not sustainable. This too shall can't depend on one individual, even if he is the president of the world's most powerful country today. Presidents and people will come and go. But the India–US relationship is deep and strong, and will continue to remain so in the long must view this as a responsible and confident nation—and I'm glad to see that the Indian government is doing exactly that. We're not reacting impulsively. We're not trying to escalate the situation with rhetoric. We're being rational, sticking to facts, and showing maturity. That approach deserves investors shouldn't worry too much. Yes, there's an issue right now, but we will overcome back to the market and economy—India is one of the fastest-growing large economies. We are going through a very vibrant economic phase. In fact, our true potential—the ecosystem and platform being built for much higher growth—is not fully reflected in the current 6% to 7% GDP domestic economy alone is quite large, and it is growing steadily. Investors should focus on the domestic market—on goods and another important point many small-time investors may not realize: this tariff talk is primarily about goods, not services. And when it comes to global exports, services form the largest part of India's exports, and that segment continues to though there are some concerns about possible disruptions from the AI revolution, those fears may be exaggerated. While AI might impact certain top layers of service jobs, India has a big role to play in AI applications globally. Many Indian companies have already started building products and services in this space and are working with global yes, there is uncertainty—but equally, there are opportunities. There are pockets of value. However, investors must understand that this is not a cheap market from a value investing perspective. Broad market valuations are not low. It's not a time for indiscriminate bargain said, opportunities always exist. Even in today's market, we see potential in domestic-focused companies, service exporters, and businesses in the AI segment. Investors need to be selective—this is a stock-picker's market. Cherry-picking is the right sum it up, while the broader market may not be offering deep value, there are pockets where smart investors can find opportunities. The Indian economy will continue to perform well. These tariff and trade issues are temporary blips. And as I said earlier, India is too big and too stable a country to be impacted by the whims of one individual—even someone like Mr. Trump and his unpredictable or childish behaviour.


Mint
25 minutes ago
- Mint
Trump tariff salvo sees India central bank return to out-of-favour rupee derivative tool
MUMBAI, August 7 (Reuters) - The Reserve Bank of India has resumed intervention in the non-deliverable forwards market over the past fortnight to manage rupee volatility triggered by mounting trade tensions with the United States, four bankers told Reuters. This marks a return to a tool the central bank had largely refrained from using over the past seven months since Sanjay Malhotra took over as RBI governor and dialled back on currency intervention. The rupee has appeared increasingly vulnerable in recent weeks amid uncertainty over whether India will reach a trade deal with the U.S. The currency posted its largest weekly decline in nearly three years last Friday, weighed down by U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose steeper-than-expected 25% tariffs on Indian goods. The RBI stepped into the non-deliverable forward market last week, responding to the pressure on the currency, the bankers said. The strain on the rupee has persisted this week following Trump's warning of punitive action over India's continued imports of Russian oil, which culminated in an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods. The central bank may have stepped in this week too in the non-deliverable forward market, two out of the four bankers said. The rupee dropped to a six month low of 87.8850 versus the U.S. dollar on Tuesday, coming within a whisker of its all-time low of 87.95 hit in February. It would have likely breached that level if not for the Reserve Bank of India's intervention, traders said. As of 12:56 pm IST on Thursday, the currency was trading at 87.7275. An email to the RBI seeking comment did not draw an immediate response. The bankers spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not permitted to speak to the media. "The Trump tariff surprise and a possible all-time high (on dollar/rupee) brought the RBI back in NDF," head of FX and rates trading at a foreign bank said, "They're not going in heavy like previously, more of a light touch just to keep things in check." The RBI had largely stepped away from the non-deliverable forward market in recent months, significantly unwinding its positions, according to bankers. Under Malhotra the RBI has allowed higher volatility in the rupee, marking a shift from the tightly managed approach of his predecessor Shaktikanta Das. During Das's tenure, non-deliverable forwards had become RBI's preferred mode of intervention. Unlike onshore spot market operations, intervention through the non-deliverable forward market does not directly impact India's foreign exchange reserves or affect rupee liquidity in the domestic banking system. The RBI's intervention in the non-deliverable forwards market last week was complemented by sustained action in the onshore spot market, which contributed to a more than $9 billion decline in India's foreign exchange reserves. "The RBI is likely to be more aggressive in capping INR depreciation pressures given how far the currency has already cheapened over recent months in spot, NEER (nominal effective exchange rate) and REER (real effective exchange rate) terms," Singapore-based Mitul Kotecha, head of FX & EM Macro Strategy Asia at Barclays Bank, said in a note. (Reporting by Nimesh Vora)