An initiative of the Technical University of Leoben and TU Austria to educate the key professionals of tomorrow – and to strengthen Austria’s industrial competitiveness.

Austria’s industry is innovative, export-oriented, and highly specialized. Yet it faces a crucial challenge:
a shortage of skilled technical professionals.

This shortage is particularly severe in science, technology, and digital industry fields. Industry associations and research institutions expect the gap to widen even further in the coming years.

India offers an answer:
With over 1.4 billion people, India is the most populous country in the world – and with around one million engineering graduates every year, it is one of the largest talent hubs for technology, digitalization, and applied sciences.
The average age is just 27 – significantly younger than in Austria.

This is where Focus India comes in:
As a strategic flagship initiative of the Technical University of Leoben – embedded in the TU Austria–India Agreement of 2024 – Focus India builds on genuine partnerships, structured exchange formats, and measurable value creation for both sides.

Focus India follows a sustainable model with four interlinked fields of action – comparable to the closed-loop principle of the circular economy.
The pillars: Partnerships, Mobility, Policy, and Integration.

On behalf of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Woman, Science and Research, the Technical University of Leoben cooperates with six leading Indian institutions:

• Manipal University Jaipur
• Manipal University Manipal
• IIT Delhi (QS Ranking #150)
• IIT Bombay (QS Ranking #118)
• University of Hyderabad (strong in environmental and geosciences)
• College of Engineering Pune (COEP) – founded in 1854, often called the “MIT of India”

Goal: Building long-term academic alliances through

• Joint and double-degree programmes
• International summer schools
• Collaborative research projects
• Innovation formats on circular economy, digitalization, and raw material security

A clear benefit:
Not only international talents benefit – Austrian students also gain new opportunities for global experience.
Through structured programmes, they can spend a week, a month, or a semester in India – for study, research, or intercultural projects.

Thus, a genuine two-way bridge is created – not a one-way street, but a mutual exchange on equal footing.

Focus India brings highly qualified young professionals from India to Austria – for bachelor’s or master’s studies – and creates the framework for them to become key contributors to Austria’s industry.

In cooperation with VFS Education Services, a seamless mobility process has been established:

• Selection and preparation in India
• Visa process and travel arrangements
• Ongoing support, integration, and career guidance in Austria

By 2026, around 100 Indian students are expected to start their studies at the Technical University of Leoben – with a clear pathway to internships, trainee programmes, and employment opportunities in Austria.

Link: TU Austria

International education requires trust, visibility, and political support.
Therefore, Focus India is also active on the diplomatic stage:

• July 2024: TU Austria–India Agreement signed during the state visit of Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Nehammer
• September 2025: Press conference at the Austrian Embassy in New Delhi
• October 2025: Panel discussion on skilled workforce development at the Indian Embassy in Vienna

Those who are meant to stay must feel at home.
That’s why Focus India actively promotes intercultural integration:

• October 2025: A symbolic Indian wedding in Leoben with 300 guests – Austrian drinks met Indian cuisine, and an Austrian woman and an Indian man exchanged symbolic vows
• Culture Guides for both directions (India → Austria and vice versa)
• Welcome Weeks, music nights, tandem programmes, culinary events – all designed to help students arrive, connect, and feel part of the community

Goal: Building an international community that supports – and grows.

Because internationalization is not an end in itself – it is a strategic response to real-world challenges.

More than 160 Austrian companies are already active in India – from global players such as voestalpine, Borealis, ANDRITZ, and RHI Magnesita to highly innovative medium-sized enterprises.

What unites them all:
They need skilled professionals with technical expertise, international experience, and cultural competence.

Focus India cultivates exactly these people –
purposefully, systematically, and in close collaboration with industry, academia, and policy.