New Delhi: India is among the most popular destinations for Australian students taking part in the Australian government's New Colombo Plan, an initiative designed to encourage more Australians to live, study and work in the Indo-Pacific region, a statement said Monday.

The students will be the first wave of students to come to India, with close to 350 of them heading to institutions across India for a short-term study next year, a statement from the Australian high commission said.