Culture, education and the Indian community in Romania

This article covers cultural relations, education and people-to-people links between India and Romania, and the Indian community living in Romania. It is based on the MEA brief of May 2026, and community and student figures are the brief's estimates as of that date.

Cultural agreements and the anniversary stamp

According to the MEA brief of May 2026, cultural cooperation between India and Romania is rooted in a Cultural Agreement signed in 1957, which laid the foundation for cooperation in culture, science, education, literature and the arts. The agreement led to Cultural Exchange Programmes (CEPs). The current Cultural Exchange Programme, for 2022-2027, was signed on 1 July 2022.

On 17 September 2024, a commemorative joint postal stamp was issued to celebrate 75 years of India-Romania diplomatic relations. The release ceremony in New Delhi featured External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, Minister of Communications Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia and the then Ambassador of Romania, H.E. Mrs. Daniela-Mariana Sezonov Țane.

Festivals, performances and yoga

Under the aegis of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Indian dance troupes regularly visit Romania and perform in several cities. The Embassy of India in Bucharest works with local cultural organisations, notably the Rabindranath Tagore Cultural Centre, to organise the "Namaste India" festival, which the brief describes as an annual highlight in Romania's cultural calendar. In October 2025, an 8-member ICCR troupe, 'Ghumti Gauri', led by Ms. Sonal Jayeshkumar Parikh, took part in the Diwali festival in Brasov and Bucharest and also performed in Iasi and Cluj-Napoca.

The International Day of Yoga has been observed annually in Romania since 2015. The 11th IDY, in 2025, was celebrated in cities across Romania, and the brief notes the growing popularity of yoga among Romanians.

Centres of Indian studies

The brief records two centres of Indian studies in Romania:

The Cluj Centre for Indian Studies (CCIS) at Babeș-Bolyai University publishes the Romanian Journal of Indian Studies, which released its 9th edition in 2025.
The Romania-India Study Centre at the Romanian-American University in Bucharest, inaugurated in December 2021, organises lectures every semester by visiting Indian professors on subjects ranging from architecture to law and business.

Scholarships and language

Scholarships under ICCR programmes have been offered to Romania. One Romanian candidate attended a Hindi course conducted by the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, Agra, in August 2025.

Indian cinema in Romania

The brief describes Indian cinema as enjoying deep-rooted popularity in Romania. Before 1989, films such as Awara (1951) and Shree 420 (1955) were widely popular, and after 2012 films such as Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Dhoom 3 and Sultan were screened. Bollywood TV channels and serials such as Gangaa, Doli Armaano Ki and Sasural Simar Ka have gained viewers among older and younger generations.

At present there are three TV channels in Romania devoted exclusively to Bollywood content. In January 2025 the Embassy hosted a special screening of "All We Imagine as Light" by Payal Kapadia, with Voodoo Films. Since August 2025, the Embassy has screened an Indian film every month in the Chancery, with participation from the Indian diaspora and friends of India.

The Indian community

The Indian community in Romania, including NRIs and PIOs, numbers around 13500, including approx. 10000 workers. The brief notes a considerable recent increase in the number of Indian workers joining construction and other sectors in Romania. Others in the community are businessmen, IT professionals, technical specialists and representatives of Indian pharmaceutical companies.

There are about 224 Indian students in Romanian institutions, attending courses in medicine, agricultural sciences and veterinary medicine. Most are pursuing medicine on a self-financing basis at Timisoara, Oradea, Bucharest and Iasi.

The brief also records four Indian restaurants in Bucharest and one each in Timisoara, Galati and Brasov. In 2025, Mr. Jaggannath Shekhar Asthana from Romania was conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, and in October 2025 the Embassy celebrated Diwali with more than 600 members of the Indian diaspora and friends of India.

Since the brief of May 2026

Later developments in India and Romania relations, from MEA publications, newest first. The article above reports the brief at its date.

Questions and answers

How many Indians live in Romania?

According to the MEA brief of May 2026, the Indian community in Romania, including NRIs and PIOs, numbers around 13500, including approx. 10000 workers.

How many Indian students are in Romania?

There are about 224 Indian students in Romanian institutions, mostly studying medicine on a self-financing basis at Timisoara, Oradea, Bucharest and Iasi.

Where can Indian studies be pursued in Romania?

The brief names the Cluj Centre for Indian Studies at Babeș-Bolyai University, which publishes the Romanian Journal of Indian Studies, and the Romania-India Study Centre at the Romanian-American University in Bucharest.

Sources

This article reports what the sources state at their date and does not add facts from elsewhere. Figures, office holders and agreements may have changed since. Diplo is independent and not affiliated with any government. Suggest a correction.