The French Institute in India is part of the worldwide network of " French institutes". The Delhi office is the only one in
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, the Pondichery antenna of the institute being a research facility more than a cultural centre.
Background
This French Institute was inaugurated on 29 March 2012 by Mr
Xavier Darcos
Xavier Darcos (; born 14 July 1947) is a French politician, scholar, civil servant and former Minister of Labour.
An ''agrégé'' professor in literature and general inspector of the National Education system, he has been Mayor of Périgueux ...
, then president of the French Institute alliance.
However, French cultural activities in Delhi have existed under various forms before the official opening of the institute. Before 2012, all cultural activities related to the French embassy were supervised by Culturesfrance.
The French Institute entertains close links with the French Embassy in India, New Delhi, the local
Alliance Française
(; "French Alliance", stylised as ''af'') is an international organization that aims to promote the French language and francophone culture around the world. Created in Paris on 21 July 1883 under the name ''Alliance française pour la propa ...
and other French-teaching establishments like the
Lycée Français de Delhi
Lycée Français de Delhi (LFD) is a French international school in Delhi, India. It serves levels ''maternelle'' (preschool) through ''lycée'' (senior high school).Centre for Social Research and Humanities are also based within its walls.
It is located next to the 5 stars hotel 'Taj Mahal', the
Parsi
The Parsis or Parsees () are a Zoroastrian ethnic group in the Indian subcontinent. They are descended from Persian refugees who migrated to the Indian subcontinent during and after the Arab-Islamic conquest of Iran in the 7th century, w ...
cemetery
A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many death, dead people are burial, buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ...
and a few hundred meters from the
Rajpath
Rajpath (), officially named Kartavya Path (), and formerly known as Kingsway, is a ceremonial boulevard in New Delhi, India, that runs from Rashtrapati Bhavan on Raisina Hill through Vijay Chowk and India Gate, National War Memorial to N ...
and
India Gate
The India Gate (formerly known as All India War Memorial) is a war memorial located near the Rajpath (officially called Kartavya Path, Kartavya path) on the eastern edge of the "ceremonial axis" of New Delhi, India, New Delhi. It stands as a m ...
Mission
The institute’s cultural center participates actively to the local and national art scene, by organising dozens of cultural events every year, on a local, regional or national basis. It also participates to external events, within the promotion of friendly ties between France and other
francophone countries
The Francophonie or Francophone world is the whole body of people and organisations around the world who use the French language regularly for private or public purposes. The term was coined by Onésime Reclus in 1880 and became important a ...
and India.
It cooperates intimately with Indian universities to propose joint courses to Indian and French students alike. In 2011 alone, 2500 Indian students chose to study in France via the joint programs created by the Institut français.
See also
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France–India relations
France–India relations or the Indo–French relations are the bilateral relations between the French Republic and the Republic of India. The two nations are traditionally characterised by a close and special relationship. In August 2019, a re ...
*
Lycée français de Pondichéry
The Lycée français international de Pondichéry is an international French school in Pondicherry (city), Pondicherry, Puducherry, India.
The school provides education from pre-primary to ''lycée'' (senior high school), 3 to 18 years old.
It ...
*
French culture
The culture of France has been shaped by Geography of France, geography, by History of France, historical events, and by foreign and internal forces and groups. France, and in particular Paris, has played an important role as a center of high ...