ICCR Becas para estudiar en la India (direkt ueber Botschaft Indien Madrid / Casa de la India)

What the ICCR India scholarship gives you

You get a full-cost scholarship to study in India. You receive a monthly stipend (a fixed living allowance) of about 200 to 245 EUR depending on your level: INR 18,000 for a bachelor's, INR 20,000 for a master's, INR 22,000 for M.Phil. or PhD. Your tuition fees are covered in full. On top of that you get a monthly housing allowance of about 60 to 70 EUR (INR 5,500 to 6,500 depending on the city), a yearly grant for study materials of roughly 55 to 140 EUR, and a one-off payment towards a thesis or project report. The scholarship comes from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), the cultural arm of India's Ministry of External Affairs. In Spain it runs through the Indian Embassy in Madrid.

You choose from three programmes: the Dr S. Radhakrishnan scheme (5 PhD places for Spain), the Atal Bihari Vajpayee general scheme (2 places for Spain, for bachelor's, master's or PhD), and the Lata Mangeshkar scheme for Indian dance, music, theatre, sculpture, Indian languages, Indian cooking and other cultural subjects (100 places worldwide).

Who can apply

• Age: You are between 18 and 40 years old.
• Where you apply from: You are in Spain, since the call runs through the Indian Embassy in Madrid.
• Level: Bachelor's, master's or PhD for the general scheme; PhD only for the Radhakrishnan scheme; a diploma or certificate for the arts and languages scheme.
• Subject: Many fields are open. The Lata Mangeshkar scheme is only for Indian culture (dance, music, theatre, sculpture, Indian languages and cooking).
• Where you study: You study at a university or institute in India that takes part in the ICCR programme.
• Language: You can study in English, the language of instruction.
• Health: You can provide a medical fitness certificate and take out health insurance covering at least INR 500,000 per year.

How to apply

You register and fill in the application on the official ICCR portal (a2ascholarships.iccr.gov.in), where you also pick your university in India. The Indian Embassy in Madrid makes the final selection based on your academic record. The 2025-26 call was published in March 2025, and the previous round closed at the end of May, so plan to apply in spring.

How realistic are your chances?

The number of places for Spain is very small: only 5 PhD places under one scheme and 2 under the general scheme. Competition for those is real and rests mainly on your grades. The arts and languages scheme is broader (100 places worldwide) but shared across many countries. If you have strong grades, a clear study plan and apply early, you have a genuine chance, but you should not count on it.