New Delhi, Dec 1 (IANS): 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.

"There is a growing interest in India throughout Australia, and increasing numbers of young people are keen to explore the educational and career opportunities India offers," Australian High Commissioner Patrick Suckling said.

"Under the New Colombo Plan, India is the third most popular destination. Thirty short-term mobility projects have been approved involving 338 students in 2015," he added.

He expressed confidence that more Australian students would follow their lead in the future as the "benefits of having first-hand knowledge of India become apparent".

The Australian government has committed $100 million in funding over the next five years to implement the New Colombo Plan across Asia.

The New Colombo Plan pilot year of 2014 is supporting 40 scholars and more than 1,300 mobility students to live, study and undertake a work placement in the four pilot locations of Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan and Singapore.