India is strengthening its cultural diplomacy and international engagement through a comprehensive framework aimed at showcasing the country’s civilisational heritage, cultural diversity and contemporary creative traditions across the world, Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Monday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Shekhawat said the Ministry of Culture promotes India’s cultural relations with other countries through the Global Engagement Scheme (GES), an umbrella initiative designed to expand structured bilateral and multilateral cultural cooperation.
The scheme supports a range of activities, including cultural exchanges, heritage conservation, documentation, capacity building and engagement with international cultural organisations.
GES comprises four major components: the International Cultural Exchange Programme (ICEP), Project Mausam, Brihattar Bharat and the Scheme for Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage and Diverse Cultural Traditions of India.
Under the International Cultural Exchange Programme, the Ministry organises Festivals of India, facilitates cultural exchanges and deputations of artists and cultural groups, and implements Cultural Exchange Programmes, memoranda of understanding and other bilateral cultural cooperation initiatives.
India currently has valid Cultural Exchange Programmes with 98 countries, providing an institutional framework for cooperation in areas such as culture, museums, heritage and performing arts.
The Ministry also uses the framework to facilitate India’s participation in major multilateral cultural forums, including BRICS, G20, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BIMSTEC.
The Ministry said cultural diplomacy forms an important component of India’s wider international engagement by creating avenues for people-to-people contacts and showcasing India’s cultural diversity beyond formal diplomatic channels.
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of External Affairs, complements the Ministry of Culture’s initiatives by promoting Indian culture overseas and strengthening people-to-people ties through its network of Indian Cultural Centres and cultural programmes abroad.
ICCR facilitates artistic exchanges and organises international cultural festivals in India, where artists from other countries are invited to perform. It also conducts visual arts exhibitions and hosts art residencies aimed at showcasing India’s civilisational heritage and contemporary artistic traditions.
The council also organises programmes in foreign countries to commemorate national and international occasions, including the International Day of Yoga.
The Ministry said these initiatives collectively seek to deepen cultural understanding and strengthen India’s international partnerships by creating sustained engagement between artists, cultural institutions and communities across countries.
