Russian Education Fair in Coimbatore to offer 10,000 MBBS seats for Indian students

Coimbatore: Around 10,000 MBBS seats have been allocated for Indian students in leading Russian government universities for the 2026-27 academic year, with the All-India Russian Education Fair 2026 scheduled to be held at Hotel Grand Regent in the city on May 15 from 10am to 5pm.Addressing a press meet on Monday, Alexander Dodonov, vice consul & director, Russian House, Chennai, said Russian universities have been admitting Indian students for more than 60 years and continue to remain a preferred destination for medical education abroad.He said Russian universities comply with the latest norms of the National Medical Commission (NMC), including regulations relating to course duration, internship, curriculum and English-medium instruction.Dodonov said over 200 Indian students would receive 100% scholarships from the Russian government this year for bachelor's, master's and postgraduate programmes in leading Russian universities.Officials said nearly 25,000 Indian students are currently pursuing medical education in around 30 Russian universities offering MD degrees equivalent to MBBS in India. As the courses are highly subsidised by the government, they are also the most affordable, with the total fee, starting from as low as 3.5 lakh per annum.Students who have qualified NEET with at least 50% marks in relevant subjects can apply, while SC/ST and OBC students require 40%. Tamil-medium students are also eligible, and no IELTS or other entrance tests are required.The seven universities participating in the fair include Volgograd State Medical University, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Kazan State Medical University and Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University among others.Spot admissions for MBBS and other programmes can be made at the fair, which will take place in several locations in Tamil Nadu. There is no entry fee for the fair.