More than 60,000 Indian students are currently enrolled in German universities, making them the largest international cohort in the country, with the growth widely seen as driven by affordability and research quality.
“India has emerged as one of the most important and fastest-growing markets for DAAD in recent years,” Arthur Rapp, director of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)’s regional office in New Delhi, told The PIE News.
“This growth is not only reflected in increasing numbers, but also in the changing aspirations and profiles of Indian students, who are now more informed, globally oriented, and focused on quality education and research opportunities.”
But for DAAD, a joint body of German universities and student organisations, the focus has shifted beyond creating pathways for Indian students to study in Germany towards deeper institutional collaboration in India.
This is reflected in initiatives such as the Indo-German Comprehensive Roadmap on Higher Education, launched during Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to India, to strengthen partnerships, exchanges, and joint research between the two countries.
“One of the major shifts is towards long-term cooperation, making Indo-German collaboration more strategic, inclusive, and impact-driven than ever before, alongside more structured partnerships between institutions rather than only supporting individual scholarships,” said Shikha Sinha, senior advisor for international cooperation and internationalisation at DAAD India.
“Programs like SPARC-GIANT bring together Indian and German universities in joint research projects in priority areas such as sustainability, healthcare, industry 4.0, and semiconductors.”
Though established in India in 1960, DAAD has expanded its work in recent years, backing around 80 of more than 500 India-Germany educational collaborations and building capacity through platforms like the International Higher Education Dialogue (iHED). Officials stressed that such initiatives are key to addressing global challenges facing both countries.
“Whether it is environmental issues, food security or the energy transition, these are global challenges that cannot be solved by any one country, requiring collaboration between scientists worldwide, with Germany’s globally renowned research landscape complementing India’s scale, dynamism and innovation,” said Rapp.
“Germany and India bring different strengths and expertise, which makes it all the more important to work together.”
German universities are not driven by profit, and most do not charge tuition fees, so the priority remains on cooperation rather than setting up campuses
Shikha Sinha, DAAD
Alongside this, DAAD has been guiding German institutions through India’s evolving regulations on joint degrees and international branch campuses, though officials say opening campuses is not currently a priority for German universities.
“We published recommendations looking at both the German and Indian systems, outlining where the challenges are and how institutions can approach collaboration step by step,” Sinha said.
“German universities are not driven by profit, and most do not charge tuition fees, so the priority remains on cooperation rather than setting up campuses.”
Rapp echoed this, noting that expanding abroad brings challenge, from aligning curricula to ensuring sufficient resources, with partnerships often the more practical route.
“German universities operate on a different model, with most funding coming from the state, so there isn’t the same financial drive to expand abroad. Expanding into a new country also comes with challenges. You can’t simply take a German curriculum and place it elsewhere; it needs to be adapted,” Rapp said.
“Since German public universities are not driven by profit, the question is where the resources would come from, which is why collaboration is often the more effective route. A joint university could happen, but it would require a high-level decision and funding.”
For DAAD, the next step is to ensure more balanced mobility and greater presence from German institutions in underrepresented regions of India, a challenge given the country’s vast and diverse higher education landscape.
“While Indo-German academic cooperation has grown significantly, there are still a few key challenges to address. One is ensuring balanced mobility – while more Indian students are going to Germany, we would like to see more German students choosing India as a study destination,” Sinha said.
“Another challenge is broadening participation beyond top-tier institutions by engaging more state universities and institutions from underrepresented regions.”
“One challenge is the scale of the landscape in India – there are so many universities and millions of students, and while we do our best to connect people and raise awareness, there is always more that can be done,” Rapp said.
“Even if you increase the budget – double or triple it – it would still not be enough, and on issues like visa policies and broader cooperation, there is clear willingness from both countries to work together and even more closely in the future.”
With an ageing population and rising demand for skilled workers, international students, especially Indians, are central to Germany’s workforce pipeline, with mobility seen as a two-way process shaped by language and long-term integration.
“You can study in English in Germany, but it is important to learn at least some basic German, especially if you are looking at long-term opportunities,” Rapp said.
“We also want people to come back to India and that’s good for Germany because it creates stronger links.”
He added that this broader approach to mobility reflects how global education pathways are evolving.
“When we talk about migration, it’s not a one-way street – people study, gain knowledge and experience, and then return or move across markets, and that’s how the system works.”