A Malaysian medical student has died in a road accident in India, according to the Foreign Ministry.

It said on Thursday that S. Uthaya Kumar, 23, was killed after the motorcycle he was riding was involved in an accident with a bus in Chitradurga, Karnataka, last night.

Uthaya Kumar, a student sponsored by the Public Service Department, died on the way to the Chitradurga Government Hospital, it said in a statement.

The ministry said the accident occurred between 11pm and midnight about 600km west of Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

"The consular officer and a PSD officer from the Malaysian consulate general in Chennai are on their way to the hospital," it said.

The ministry and the consulate general in Chennai expressed condolences to the family of Uthaya Kumar and said consular assistance would be extended to the family.