India and France are discussing the possibility of establishing an IIT campus in Nice, with Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi raising the proposal during his meeting with French Minister for Higher Education, Research and Space Philippe Baptiste in New Delhi on September 28.
The meeting covered broader cooperation in higher education, including student, faculty and researcher mobility, institutional partnerships, joint academic programmes and research. The proposed IIT campus in Nice was among the areas discussed, according to Joshi's post following the meeting.
The French minister is in India from September 28 to 30 for discussions on education, research and innovation. The meeting comes during the India-France Year of Innovation 2026, with both countries seeking to expand their academic and research links.
What is proposed?
The Nice campus is currently a proposal, than an announced operational IIT campus. The available government statements do not specify which IIT would establish it, its courses, student intake, funding or a proposed launch date.
The proposal is being discussed alongside existing IIT-France collaborations. The India-France Innovation Roadmap 2030, adopted earlier this year, lists cooperation between IIT Bombay and Université Côte d'Azur in Nice covering faculty, administrative staff, departments and research institutions. It also includes several other IIT-France agreements involving research, student exchanges, innovation and industry partnerships.
That existing relationship with Université Côte d'Azur provides an academic link in Nice, although it is separate from the proposed IIT campus.
What else did India and France discuss?
Joshi and Baptiste discussed expanding student, faculty and researcher mobility, strengthening institutional partnerships and developing collaborative academic programmes and exchanges.
The two sides also discussed greater cooperation in life sciences, social sciences and humanities, along with joint research and academic activities. Technology-enabled learning, language education and teacher education were also part of the discussions.
Another issue on the agenda was the ongoing revision of the India-France Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ) Agreement. India and France have had an MRQ agreement since 2018, and the two countries are working towards an updated framework covering a wider range of academic disciplines and professional qualifications. The India-France Innovation Roadmap says an expanded agreement could support greater academic mobility, dual degrees and doctoral co-supervision.
France has also been invited to encourage its higher education institutions to establish campuses in India. The Ministry of Education said French institutions could explore locations including GIFT City, Gujarat, as well as places where French companies operate and require technical manpower.
IITs are expanding overseas
IIT Madras established its Zanzibar campus in 2023, while IIT Delhi opened its Abu Dhabi campus in 2024. IIM Ahmedabad established an overseas campus in Dubai in 2025. A recent Parliament response said IIT Madras had already graduated 35 students from its Zanzibar campus, while more than 100 students were enrolled in its undergraduate programmes. IIT Delhi's Abu Dhabi campus had 171 students in 2025-26.
The government has also been encouraging foreign universities to establish campuses in India under the internationalisation provisions of the National Education Policy 2020. As of August 2026, the UGC had issued 16 Letters of Intent to foreign higher education institutions from Australia, Italy, the UK and the US.
