Students try their writing skills at a workshop DIET organized in April at Chari Gaon village of Pauri Garhwal district. [Photo Provided to China Daily]

The initiative traces back to a long-standing personal dream of Chandra, who, when in school there searched every bookstore for a Chinese language book and found none.

"I vowed that, one day, I would bring Chinese language education to my home district," said Chandra, who is an alumnus of Harvard University.

Chandra's dream became a reality when Narayan Prasad, a senior official from DIET approached his department, proposing to introduce Chinese classes in government inter-colleges across the district.

Local people stand to benefit from building language capacity. Beyond diplomacy, the practical benefits of Mandarin proficiency extend to tourism, hospitality, yoga, and international trade, he said.

"As the second-largest global economy, China is impossible to ignore," said Chandra.

He emphasized the project's potential for creating employment opportunities. Learning Mandarin will significantly improve job prospects, as China is one of India's largest trade partners, Chandra added.

Many other opportunities open up as interpreters and translators are hired by the Ministry of External Affairs and many private companies. The students can also act as cultural and linguistic bridges between India and China, fostering mutual understanding, Chandra said, adding that plans are also afoot to arrange foreign scholarships based on student proficiency tests.

Praising the efforts of the program, Doon University Vice-Chancellor Surekha Dangwal said if any student from economically weaker backgrounds wants to pursue higher studies in the Chinese language and Chinese literature, the university is ready to extend help under its scholarships program.

"The initiative has the potential to expand," Dangwal said.

The success in Pauri Garhwal district can serve as a model for other districts and Indian states aiming to combine education with global skills, Chandra added.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.