The French Ambassador in India’s July 14 announcement of a five-year-Schengen Visa for Indian students is set to help Audencia Nantes School of Management let higher education applicants in India in on a secret: the school believes the city of Nantes is now truly France’s version of Pune, THE student-friendly destination.

Ambassador François Richier’s declaration that his country will award a five-year visa to Indian citizens who ­graduate from a French higher education institution with a master’s or PhD degree adds to financial incentives already designed to draw Indian students to Audencia and its city.

While Pune has grown to become India’s top city for higher education, Nantes (population 300,000) has developed into a magnet for 120,000 higher education students. However, Audencia feels not enough Indian students take advantage of this little-known opportunity and is looking to boost intakes.

In a bid to encourage more Indians to apply to its programmes, Audencia has chosen to offer a range of financial aid packages. To boost the school’s diversity, Indian candidates could have between 240,000 and 400,000 rupees cut from their fees in a drive to make classes more multi-cultural. Indian students who visit the Audencia stand at one of India’s student recruitment fairs could also be in line for an 80,000 rupees reduction on the MBA or masters programmes if they prove themselves to be the best candidate at the event. 

The masters programmes also offer excellence grants of 240,000 rupees based on GMAT and GRE scores. Finally, academic and career achievement grants of 240,000 rupees (masters programmes) and 400,000 rupees (MBA) are available.

As is the case with Pune, France’s sixth largest urban area has a wealth of higher education establishments that means it can market itself as a real student city. It is home to not only Audencia, but also to engineering schools and a large university plus communication, design, architecture, fine art and veterinary schools.

To underline this, Audencia’s communication will also stress other factors that make life in Nantes attractive: Europe’s Green Capital 2013, the best quality of life in France, two hours by train from Paris and an hour from the beaches of the Atlantic coast.

Audencia Nantes will participate in the Admission Tour India 2013 organised by Campus France with stops in Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Chandigarh and Surabaya in September and October.

The school, ranked internationally by the Financial Times and The Economist, currently has academic partnerships in India with the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore, Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship, XLRI Jamshedpur and the Insitute of Management Technonolgy in Ghaziabad.