India is one of the key partner countries in RWTH Aachen University's Internationalization Strategy. Collaborations with Indian universities and research institutions are therefore crucial.

Excellent Partners

The University has partnerships with IIT Madras, IISc Bangalore, IIT Mandi, and IIT Delhi. They form the basis for successful cooperation and a lively exchange of ideas between students and researchers. The growing alumni network is a testimony to the dynamic relationship with partners in India.

Strategic Partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras

RWTH and IIT Madras in Chennai are linked by a historically established and successful strategic partnership. The International Office supports research activities at both institutions with the Junior Research Fellowships and the Senior Research Fellowships.

Indo-German Centre for Sustainability

RWTH and IIT Madras jointly coordinate the Indo-German Centre for Sustainability (IGCS). The IGCS promotes German-Indian exchanges on sustainability topics in teaching and research. For this purpose, a Summer School in Germany and a Winter School in India are held twice a year, teaching modules are developed, and research projects are supervised.

The IGCS is located at IIT Madras and offers seminar rooms, laboratories, and offices to support the exchange. The DAAD funds scholarships that enable anyone from Master’s students to professors to go on exchange. The IGCS is supported by the TU9 universities, TU Berlin, the University of Stuttgart, and Kiel University – CAU.

Global Water and Climate Adaptation Centre

The “Global Water and Climate Adaptation Centre. Aachen, Bangkok, Chennai, Dresden (ABCD)” was set up at IIT Madras in mid-2021. The ABCD-Centre is dedicated to addressing urgent global problems of water and climate adaptation. Apart from RWTH and IIT Madras, further partners are TU Dresden, UNU-FLORES in Dresden, and the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok.

The ABCD-Centre enables a global dialogue and offers various collaboration and exchange opportunities for RWTH researchers and students. It is financed by the DAAD, using funding from the German Foreign Office.

Current funding opportunities can be found in the document Call for Applications: ABCD Future Environmental Leaders Scholarships 2022.

Presence in India

Due to the importance of the country, a significant local presence is an important feature of RWTH’s engagement in India. The liaison office in New Delhi is involved in the activities of the German Centre for Research and Innovation (DWIH) New Delhi, establishing and maintaining networks within the German-Indian scientific community and implementing projects for the benefit of RWTH. The head of the liaison office is Benjamin Pfrang.

In 2020, RWTH International Academy and the Institute of General Mechanics (IAM) launched AcademyIAM India, which is headed by Dr. Sandeep Patil, group leader at IAM. Its core goals are to recruit outstanding Indian students for Master's degree programs at RWTH and to establish research-based collaborations with reputable Indian universities. The activities in New Delhi, Pune, and Chennai are continuously harmonized with each other.

Exchange Opportunities and Cooperations

Exchange Opportunities for RWTH Students in India

You can apply for an exchange position at one of our partner universities directly via the RWTH Worldwide study abroad program. Please note the information on application documents and deadlines and ask your faculty's study abroad coordinators about any faculty agreements in India. If you are interested, we recommend that you take part in one of our events, such as group advising sessions, and read past reports from outgoing students.

You are welcome to apply for the PROMOS scholarship program if you are planning an exchange to an Indian partner university. You can also apply for scholarships for stays at IIT Madras via the strategic partnership. Another possibility is to participate in Summer and Winter Schools for languages and technical topics. Selected Summer Schools and Winter Schools of our partner universities are published on our website.

You can also organize a stay in India yourself and spend a semester abroad as a free mover.

Research Funding for Indo-German Projects

There are many ways in which you can initiate and further develop research cooperations with Indian partners.

The German Research Foundation, DFG for short, offers various opportunities for scientists wishing to collaborate with Indian partners. These include funds to initiate international collaborations with partners from India, funds for scientific networks, and other regular DFG funding lines. Bilateral calls and funding programs are offered by the Indian Department of Science and Technology, DST for short, and the Department of Biotechnology, DBT for short. The DFG India Office will be happy to advise you on these matters.
The Indo-German Science and Technology Center, IGSTC for short: besides calls for bilateral workshops, the IGSTC publishes an annual thematic call for 2 + 2 projects. At least one research institution and one industry partner from both Germany and India must jointly apply for this call.
The European Union announces research funding for selected topics through the Horizon 2020 program. The calls are launched in cooperation with the Indian government – DST and DBT. In the past, key topics included water and vaccinations. Indian researchers interested in RWTH can find out more about events, research funding, research careers, and opportunities for cooperation via EURAXESS India.
The DAAD offers a wide range of mobility opportunities for students and researchers. In addition to the strategic partnership and the IGCS, RWTH also administers the PROMOS scholarship program. The RWTH Aachen University Exchange Scholarship and KOSPIE are available for selected Indian students. You can find further DAAD scholarships in the DAAD scholarship database.
RWTH actively supports the German House of Science and Innovation, DWIH for short, located in New Delhi. Due to RWTH's presence in India, it is possible to apply for additional funding and support for events that meet DWIH's objectives. If you are interested in finding out more about this offer, please contact the International Office.
Postdocs from India who would like to do research at RWTH can apply for the excellent programs offered by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Your Indian research contacts can use Indian programs such as SPARC and GIAN, which provide additional opportunities for cooperations.
RWTH is involved in the TU9 network and will inform you about relevant funding opportunities on this page.