Students to benefit from direct flights

The resumption of direct flights between India and the Chinese mainland after a five-year suspension is helping revitalize bilateral exchanges, with the recent breakthrough having a particularly significant positive effect on education and cultural ties, observers said.

Indian students are among the primary beneficiaries, as direct flights have reduced travel costs and reignited youths' enthusiasm for pursuing higher studies in China.

"It is fantastic news for us. Travel will be much easier, and traveling expenses will be less than half now," said Priyanshu Yadav, an Indian student who recently completed a one-year advanced modern Chinese language program at Tsinghua University.

Yadav, who now plans to pursue an MBA in China, previously paid approximately $430 for a one-way ticket from Beijing to New Delhi via Singapore due to the lack of direct connectivity.

Another Indian student, Preetam Rawat, who completed a similar course in Wuhan, Hubei province, began compiling all necessary documents for postgraduate study in China immediately upon hearing the news of the resumption of direct flights.

The other Indian youths planning to study in China have expressed similar relief and renewed interest, and are looking forward to enrolling in higher studies as well as various short-term courses in China.

According to data from the Indian government, around 25,000 Indian students were enrolled in different Chinese universities across various disciplines before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The direct flights officially resumed this October — the first flight in five years — connecting Kolkata to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, operated by India's IndiGo Airlines.

Subsequently, connectivity was restored between New Delhi and Guangzhou. In November, China Eastern Airlines launched a direct flight between Shanghai and New Delhi.

Meanwhile, Indian flag carrier Air India has announced plans to resume nonstop flights between New Delhi and Shanghai in February 2026 and also introduce new services between Mumbai and Shanghai.

Beyond easing the burden on individual Indian students, the resumption of direct flights is accelerating institutional efforts to rebuild academic partnerships between India and China.

Major Indian universities have been actively reengaging with their Chinese counterparts. Srikanth Kondapalli, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, or JNU, in New Delhi, said efforts are underway to restore old tie-ups between academic institutions.

JNU, one of the premier universities in India for Chinese language and research studies, has maintained numerous scholarly exchange programs and collaborative projects with Chinese institutions, including Fudan University and Tsinghua University.

Multifaceted effect

Academics highlight the multifaceted impact of this renewed connectivity. Huang Yinghong, a professor and full-time faculty member at India's O. P. Jindal Global University said, "It becomes much more convenient now as both sides do not need to travel via third countries (or regions). It saves time, energy and cost of traveling."

From a broader perspective, the resumption of direct air connectivity sends out a message that Sino-Indian bilateral relations have improved, facilitating more business, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, he said.

The momentum extends to more historic institutions with deep China ties. Visva-Bharati University's Cheena Bhavana, or Department of Chinese Language and Culture, India's oldest and premier center of Chinese studies and research in the eastern state of West Bengal, has sought to restore its formal ties with several Chinese universities.

Avijit Banerjee, head of the department, said direct flights will facilitate educational and cultural visits between institutions and people from the two countries. Earlier, the absence of direct flights had affected all exchanges, he noted.

Banerjee expects more direct flights between the two countries in the coming days, as improved connectivity will help strengthen relations.

"We are looking at sending our teachers and students in July next year to China," said Madhulika Sen, former principal and senior academic advisor at the school. Their long-standing exchange programs, involving learning activities like tai chi and calligraphy from China and Kathak dance and yoga from India, have been conducted online since March 2020.

Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong announced in a social media post on Dec 8 that the Chinese embassy in India will launch an online visa application system for Indian travelers on Monday. The system aims to streamline the process and reduce paperwork for Indians seeking to travel to China.

In a recent address, Xu expressed hope for strengthened cooperation in different areas, including political parties, think tanks, youth, culture, and education, affirming that China is ready to deepen practical cooperation with India.

Aparajit Chakraborty is a freelance journalist for China Daily.

Xu Weiwei in Hong Kong contributed to this story.