KIRTI Lal and Arti Pratap have been acknowledged as the first non-civil servants to be awarded certificates by the Indian government.
The two women are Geography lecturers at the University of the South Pacific were on a three-week learning initiative under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program.
An Indian High Commission statement said the ITEC prided itself on encouraging "South-South co-operation".
In the past the program was usually awarded to civil servants. The lecturers applied for a place and stayed in India for three weeks to study at The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) in New Delhi with all expenses paid by the Indian government.
"India was incredible in every possible way, from the Taj Mahal to the speeding on the streets. It was good to see where our ancestors came from," Ms Lal said.
"The course was overwhelming and very knowledgeable at the same time, especially learning it in a place like India where sustainable development is a real challenge."
Sharing Ms Lal's sentiments, Ms Pratap said the cultural richness was a joy to witness.
"It was so good to know that we, as Indians, also shared many of the same cultural traits as the ones we witnessed in India.
"Fiji has much to learn from India in terms of sustainability. In India, large corporations promoted the use of organic farming as well as the harvesting of rain water," said Ms Pratap.
The High Commission acknowledged ITEC for its demonstration of "a visible and growing awareness among other countries about India for training opportunities and technical co-operation."