**Executive Summary**
This document outlines the Government of India's initiatives under the G20 Culture Working Group to showcase Indian cultural heritage and assets, with a focus on the 'Kashi Culture Pathway' advocating for culture as a standalone goal in post-2030 development. An International Conference on recalling India's Knowledge Legacy through Manuscript Heritage took place on September 11-13, 2025. The Ministry of Culture implements a "Global Engagement Scheme" to promote Indian culture internationally.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **G20 Cultural Initiatives:**
* The G20 Culture Working Group developed the ‘Kashi Culture Pathway', endorsed in the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration.
* The Ministry of Culture has undertaken international cultural projects to showcase Indian culture to G20 participants.
* Key activities included:
* Four Global Thematic Webinars
* Exhibitions (Re(ad)dress, Sustain, Woven Narratives)
* G20 Art Project – Together We Art
* G20 Anthology of Poetry – Under the Same Sky and Culture Unites All Campaign
* G20 Orchestra - Sur Vasudha
* G20 Digital Museum (Culture Corridor) and Exhibition – Routes and Roots
* **India's Knowledge Legacy Conference:**
* An International Conference on recalling India's Knowledge Legacy through Manuscript Heritage was held from September 11-13, 2025.
* **G20 Presidency Activities:**
* During India's G20 Presidency 2023, cultural activities were organized at Bharat Mandapam and other heritage sites.
* Bharat Mandapam operates on a self-sustainable model.
* Upkeep of heritage sites is under existing schemes and regular budgetary provisions of the Ministry of Culture.
* **Cultural Diplomacy Evaluation:**
* Outcomes are evaluated based on measurable indicators like outreach, effectiveness of Cultural Exchange Programmes, institutional partnerships, and repatriation of artefacts.
* **Global Engagement Scheme:**
* The Government aims to position India as a global cultural hub.
* The Ministry of Culture implements the "Global Engagement Scheme" to promote Indian culture internationally and is administered through Indian Missions abroad.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Ministry of Culture and its Organizations**
* **Impact:** Responsible for implementing and administering cultural initiatives, maintaining heritage sites, and evaluating the outcomes of cultural diplomacy.
* **Action Required:** Continue undertaking initiatives, maintain heritage sites and utilize budgetary provisions accordingly.
**Stakeholder: Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat**
* **Impact:** Accountable for the oversight and direction of the Ministry of Culture.
* **Action Required:** Continue to inform Rajya Sabha on undertaken measures.
**Stakeholder: G20 Countries**
* **Impact:** Participants in collaborative international cultural projects.
* **Action Required:** Engage in the cultural projects and activities.
**Stakeholder: Indian Missions Abroad**
* **Impact:** Administer the "Global Engagement Scheme" to promote Indian culture internationally.
* **Action Required:** Implement the "Global Engagement Scheme"
Key Entities Referenced
G20: A forum playing a central role in cultural diplomacy efforts, specifically through the G20 Culture Working Group and related initiatives.
Ministry of Culture: The Indian ministry responsible for implementing cultural initiatives, showcased in the document. It is the primary implementer of schemes like the 'Global Engagement Scheme'.
Kashi Culture Pathway: An Outcome Document of the G20 Culture Working Group, advocating for advancing culture as a standalone goal in the post-2030 development agenda.
Global Engagement Scheme: A scheme implemented by the Ministry of Culture to promote India's cultural heritage internationally.
New Delhi: The location of the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration and various G20 events, including the Leaders' Summit and related exhibitions.
Ministry of Culture
G20 CULTURAL HERITAGE AND GLOBAL
CULTURAL DIPLOMACY
Posted On: 12 FEB 2026 1:48PM by PIB Delhi
The Government of India has undertaken several initiatives to develop and showcase the cultural assets,
exhibitions and heritage. The G20 Culture Working Group came out with an Outcome Document titled the
‘Kashi Culture Pathway’ which advocated for advancing “culture as a standalone goal” in the post-2030
development agenda. This was further unanimously endorsed in the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration
marked a historic milestone.
Various collaborative international cultural projects were undertaken by Ministry of Culture to showcase
Indian culture to the participants from G20 countries:
Four Global Thematic Webinars;
Exhibitions – Re(ad)dress: Return of Treasures in Khajuraho; Sustain: The Craft Idiom, in Bhubaneswar;
Woven Narratives, in Hampi;
G20 Art Project – Together We Art;
G20 Anthology of Poetry – Under the Same Sky and Culture Unites All Campaign;
G20 Orchestra - Sur Vasudha.
The Exhibitions G20 Digital Museum (Culture Corridor) and Exhibition – Routes and Roots, were
organized on the sidelines of G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi.
By aligning the G20 initiatives, an International Conference on recalling India’s Knowledge Legacy
through Manuscript Heritage was held on 11-13 September, 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
During the India’s G20 Presidency 2023, various Cultural activities were organized at Bharat Mandapam
in New Delhi and other cultural Heritage sites, Monuments etc. in several cities across the country. Bharat
Mandapam operates on a self-sustainable model. The upkeep of heritage sites, museums and other cultural
institutions utilized during the G20 events is undertaken under existing schemes and regular budgetary
provisions of the Ministry of Culture and its organizations
The outcomes of cultural diplomacy initiatives are evaluated on the basis of measurable indicators such as
the scale and outreach of cultural engagements, effectiveness of Cultural Exchange Programmes (CEPs),
institutional partnerships established, agreements/MoUs concluded, capacity-building initiatives
undertaken, resulting in repatriation of many valuable artefacts & antiquities in India and sustained
people-to-people exchanges arising from such initiatives.
The Government of India is working to enhance and scale up all its cultural outreach activities to positions
India as a global cultural hub. Ministry of Culture implements “Global Engagement Scheme” to promote
India’s rich cultural heritage internationally and enhance India’s global image which is administered
through Indian Missions abroad.
This information was given by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in
a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.*******
M Annadurai
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