ICCR (Indian Council For Cultural Relations)

What ICCR (Indian Council For Cultural Relations) does

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is an autonomous organization of the Government of India operating under the Ministry of External Affairs, headquartered in New Delhi. Its core function is cultural diplomacy, executed principally through a unified scholarship programme that delivers more than 3,300 placements annually across 24 schemes to international students from over 130 countries. Current enrollment stands at approximately 4,500 students pursuing undergraduate, postgraduate, M.Phil., doctoral, post-doctoral, and professional programmes at Indian universities, including specialized tracks in Indian classical music, dance, yoga, and AYUSH systems of traditional medicine.ICCCR's technology footprint is intentionally minimal: it operates a public content portal at iccrindia.net, organized into 10 topical categories (Tourism, Culture, Education, Gastronomy, Health, Economy, Technology, Sports, and others), which serves simultaneously as a recruitment funnel for prospective scholarship applicants and as a soft-power channel promoting Indian heritage abroad. There is no proprietary platform, no app, and no disclosed automation in scholarship administration; program delivery relies on standard digital communication and bilateral institutional arrangements rather than a software product.The organization does not generate commercial revenue. It is funded through annual Government of India budget allocations routed via MEA and, for AYUSH-aligned scholarships, jointly with the Ministry of AYUSH. Core operational partners are the Ministry of External Affairs, the AYUSH Department, and a network of Indian universities that place sponsored scholars. The customer base is individual international students, segmented by geography (developing vs. developed source countries) and use case (academic vs. cultural/traditional-medicine study), with priority weighting toward BIMSTEC and developing-country applicants.

Name

ICCR (Indian Council For Cultural Relations)

Legal name

Indian Council For Cultural Relations

Website

https://iccrindia.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ICCR is the Government of India's cultural diplomacy body, administering 3,300+ annual scholarships across 24 schemes for 4,500+ international students from 130+ countries to study at Indian universities in academic, artistic, and AYUSH disciplines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Exchange and International Education Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Government-Sponsored Scholarships & Exchange Funding (EDAIAOAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Application Support, Matching Platforms & Scholarship Administration Services (EDAIAOAN), Country/Region-Specific Scholarships (Inbound/Outbound) (EDAIAOAC), Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH)

Keywords

• Cultural exchange programs
• International scholarships
• Cultural diplomacy services
• Government education funding
• Indian culture promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: ICCR is a government cultural body funded by the Government of India. As a cultural diplomacy organization, it operates through annual government budgets allocated for cultural promotion and international cultural exchange programs. The organization does not generate commercial revenue but receives subsidies to fund scholarship programs and cultural activities abroad.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ICCR administers a comprehensive international scholarship programme offering more than 3,300 scholarships annually under 24 different schemes to students from over 130 countries, covering undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and professional courses including engineering, pharmacy, accountancy, business administration, management, and artistic disciplines such as Indian dance, music, painting, sculpture, yoga, and traditional medicine. The organization also promotes Indian culture globally through cultural events, art exhibitions, and academic exchanges.

Product overview

ICCR (Indian Council For Cultural Relations) operates as India's premier cultural diplomacy organization offering a unified scholarship programme. The core offering is the ICCR Scholarship Programme, which provides over 3,300 scholarships annually across 24 different schemes to international students from more than 130 countries. The programme covers diverse academic disciplines including undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and professional programmes in fields such as engineering, pharmacy, accountancy, business administration, management, and artistic courses including Indian dance, music, painting, sculpture, yoga, and traditional medicine systems like Ayurveda.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ICCR Scholarship Programme A comprehensive international scholarship programme offering more than 3,300 scholarships annually under 24 different schemes to international students from over 130 countries, covering undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and professional courses including engineering, pharmacy, accountancy, business administration, management, and artistic disciplines such as Indian classical dance, music, painting, sculpture, and yoga.
• General Cultural Scholarship Scheme ICCR-funded scholarships for undergraduate, postgraduate, M.Phil., Ph.D., and Post-Doctoral courses offered to international students, with priority for students from developing countries.
• Scholarships under Bilateral Cultural Exchange Programmes (CEP) ICCR-funded scholarships for undergraduate, postgraduate, M.Phil., and Ph.D. courses available under valid bilateral Cultural Exchange Programmes with partner nations.
• Scholarship Scheme for Training in Indian Music and Dance ICCR-funded scholarships specifically dedicated to artistic courses including Indian classical Dance, Music, Yoga, and Art courses for international students.
• AYUSH Scholarships for Traditional Medicine Scholarships jointly funded by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the AYUSH Department for undergraduate, postgraduate, and Ph.D. courses in traditional medicine systems including Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Yoga, with priority for students from BIMSTEC countries.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Indian UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCR partners with Indian universities to provide academic placement for international scholarship recipients. Universities included in ICCR's network must meet certain criteria and have established agreements with ICCR for accepting foreign scholars. The acceptance of a scholarship does not guarantee admission, as universities maintain independent eligibility criteria.
• Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCR collaborates with India's Ministry of External Affairs to fund and administer several scholarship schemes for students from SAARC countries, African countries, and other regions. MEA provides funding for scholarships under bilateral cultural exchange programs and country-specific scholarship schemes.
• AYUSH DepartmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe AYUSH Department (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) partners with ICCR to offer specialized scholarships for international students to study Indian traditional medicine systems in India. These scholarships cover undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral courses in Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Yoga.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Turkish Government Scholarships (Türkiye Bursları): Turkey's government-funded comprehensive scholarship program for international students covering UG, PG, and doctoral programs. Comparable to ICCR in offering full scholarships across multiple disciplines and serving developing countries.
• China Scholarship Council (CSC): China's government-funded scholarship body that sponsors international students from >150 countries to study in Chinese universities. Directly comparable to ICCR in mission, scale, and modality, with substantially larger budget and global footprint.
• Fulbright Program (U.S. Department of State): U.S. government-sponsored international academic exchange program operated by the State Department. Comparable to ICCR in cultural diplomacy mandate and scholarship administration, though focused on graduate-level research and teaching exchanges.
• DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service): Germany's primary government-funded scholarship organization that places international students and researchers at German universities. Highly comparable to ICCR in structure and function, with a longer history and broader funding base.
• Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP / Global Korea Scholarship): South Korea's National Institute for International Education-administered scholarship program for international students. Comparable to ICCR in administration structure, government funding, and emphasis on soft power diplomacy.
• Commonwealth Scholarship Commission: UK-based commission administering scholarships for students from Commonwealth countries to study in the UK. ICCR has a parallel Commonwealth Scholarship Plan serving similar student segments under a different cultural alignment.
• Erasmus+ (European Commission): EU-funded international educational exchange program covering intra-European and partner countries. Comparable to ICCR in scale and government-backed structure, though regional in focus.
• Chevening Scholarship (UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office): UK government scholarship program funded by the Foreign Office targeting future leaders from over 160 countries. Comparable to ICCR's high-potential student focus and government-to-government cultural diplomacy goals.
• MEXT Scholarship (Japanese Ministry of Education): Japan's government-funded scholarship program operated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Directly comparable to ICCR in offering fully-funded scholarships to international students from a broad set of countries.

Broad incumbents

• EDUPR China / Confucius Institute (Hanban): China's government program promoting Chinese language and culture education globally, paralleling ICCR's cultural diplomacy mandate. Comparable to ICCR's broader cultural exchange goal beyond scholarships alone.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iccr-indian-council-for-cultural-relations-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ICCR (Indian Council For Cultural Relations)