**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1270 concerning India's Buddhist diplomacy. Answered on February 6, 2026, it details the Government of India's initiatives to promote economic cooperation, strengthen cultural ties and develop strategic relationships with Southeast Asian countries through Buddhist heritage and cultural diplomacy. The document outlines support for ASEAN Cultural Heritage projects, tourism cooperation, and the facilitation of events to promote tourism to Buddhist sites in India.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Act East Policy & ASEAN Engagement**
* The Government of India's Act East Policy aims to promote economic cooperation, strengthen cultural ties, and develop strategic relationships with Southeast Asian countries.
* Shared Buddhist heritage is a key aspect of bilateral, regional, and multilateral ties with ASEAN countries.
* Cultural and spiritual connections are reinforced through regular exchanges of visits by Buddhist monks, senior functionaries, pilgrims, and tourists.
* **Exposition of Holy Relics**
* The Government of India facilitated two significant expositions of the Holy Relics of Lord Buddha in Southeast Asia:
* Thailand (22 Feb - 19 Mar 2024): Included relics of Buddha and his disciples.
* Vietnam (2 May - 2 June 2025): Displayed relics from Nagarjunakonda, Andhra Pradesh, at nine locations during UN Vesak celebrations.
* **Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC)**
* Under the MGC Plan of Action (2019-24), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) organized a 9-day trip for travel agencies to prominent Buddhist sites for 49 participants from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam (June 2-10, 2025).
* **Capacity Building & Tourism Initiatives**
* India has contributed to capacity building on Buddhist heritage, including support for research, academic degree courses, and short-term training at universities and institutions, including Nalanda University.
* 2025 was designated as the ASEAN-India Year of Tourism.
* Key initiatives include the ASEAN-India Tourism Professionals Exchange Programme in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Guwahati, and Bengaluru.
* ASEAN-India Tourism Ministers' Meetings are held annually to facilitate the exchange of views and promote tourism cooperation.
* India is supporting ASEAN in a feasibility study for the development of an ASEAN Cultural Heritage List.
* **Promotion of Tourism**
* MEA facilitates events/conferences aimed at promoting tourism to Buddhist circuits and heritage sites in India in collaboration with foreign embassies.
* Indian missions support activities that promote the Buddhist Circuit as part of tourism-promotion initiatives and facilitate State Government participation in tourism trade fairs.
* **Global Buddhist Summit**
* The 2nd Global Buddhist Summit, organized by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) and the Ministry of Culture in New Delhi (Jan 24-25, 2026), saw participation from nearly 200 international representatives.
* **Exposition in Bhutan**
* The sacred Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha from India were on exposition in Bhutan (Nov 8-25, 2025) and received with reverence.
* **Repatriation of Piprahwa Relics**
* On January 3, 2026, the Hon'ble Prime Minister inaugurated the exposition ‘The Light and the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One' showcasing the sacred Piprahwa Relics recently repatriated to India.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Government of India**
* **Impact**: The Government is responsible for implementing the Act East Policy and strengthening ties with ASEAN countries through cultural and economic initiatives.
* **Action Required**: Continue formulating and executing strategies to enhance engagement with ASEAN nations through cultural diplomacy, tourism cooperation, and support for Buddhist heritage.
**Stakeholder: ASEAN Nations**
* **Impact**: ASEAN nations benefit from increased tourism, cultural exchange, and support for their cultural heritage projects.
* **Action Required**: Collaborate with the Indian government on cultural exchange programs, tourism initiatives, and participate in feasibility studies for the development of the ASEAN Cultural Heritage List.
**Stakeholder: Tourism Industry (India & ASEAN)**
* **Impact**: Travel agencies and tourism professionals gain opportunities through exchange programs and increased tourism activity in the Buddhist circuit.
* **Action Required**: Participate in exchange programs, trade fairs, and develop tourism packages that promote Buddhist heritage sites and tourism circuits in both India and ASEAN countries.
**Stakeholder: State Governments (India)**
* **Impact**: State Governments can promote tourism to Buddhist sites within their regions and participate in international tourism trade fairs.
* **Action Required**: Collaborate with the Ministry of Tourism and other stakeholders to develop infrastructure and promote connectivity along the Buddhist circuit to meet international standards and facilitate increased tourism.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of External Affairs: The Indian ministry responsible for the country's foreign relations, playing a central role in promoting Buddhist diplomacy and cultural ties.
ASEAN: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a key regional partner in India's Buddhist diplomacy and cultural exchange initiatives.
Act East Policy: A governmental initiative focused on promoting economic and cultural ties between India and Southeast Asia, including the strengthening of Buddhist heritage links.
Bodhi Yatra: An initiative aimed at advancing India's Buddhist diplomacy in Southeast Asia.
Buddhist Circuit: A network of sites important to Buddhism, aiming to develop infrastructure and promote tourism, facilitating increased tourism and bilateral exchanges
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1270
ANSWERED ON 06/02/2026
INDIA’S BUDDHIST DIPLOMACY
1270. SHRI JAGADAMBIKA PAL
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) the manner in which recent ‘Bodhi Yatra’ and related initiatives have
advanced India’s Buddhist diplomacy in Southeast Asia and strengthened
cultural and spiritual ties with ASEAN countries;
(b) the details of specific long-term strategies being formulated by the
Government to sustain and enhance engagement with ASEAN nations
through cultural diplomacy, including support for ASEAN Cultural Heritage
projects and tourism cooperation;
(c) whether the Ministry is collaborating with State Governments, the
Ministry of Tourism and other stakeholders to develop infrastructure and
promote connectivity along the Buddhist circuit to meet international
standards and facilitate increased tourism and bilateral exchanges, if so,
the details thereof; and
1(d) whether the Government is promoting cultural linkages between
heritage sites like Piprahwa and Kapilvastu in Siddharthnagar district to
Buddhist heritage sites abroad and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI PABITRA MARGHERITA)
(a to d) The objective of the Act East Policy of Government of India is to
promote economic cooperation, strengthening cultural ties and
developing strategic relationships including with the countries of
Southeast Asia. Shared Buddhist heritage is an important aspect in our
ties at bilateral, regional and multilateral level with many ASEAN
countries. Cultural and spiritual connections are reinforced by regular
exchange of visits of Buddhist Monks, senior functionaries, pilgrims and
tourists.
In the past two years, based on request from partner countries,
Government of India has facilitated two significant expositions of the Holy
Relics of Lord Buddha in Southeast Asia. The first, held in Thailand from
22 February to 19 March 2024, included relics of Buddha and his disciples,
and witnessed wide public participation across four venues, with over 40
lakh devotees in attendance. The second exposition was undertaken in
Vietnam from 2 May to 2 June 2025, where relics from Nagarjunakonda,
2Andhra Pradesh, were displayed at nine locations during UN Vesak
celebrations, drawing an estimated 1.4 crores visitors. These initiatives
contributed to fostering cultural linkages with the respective countries.
Under the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Plan of Action (2019-
24), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) organised a 9 days trip of travel
agencies to prominent Buddhist sites for 49 participants, (from Cambodia,
Lao PDR, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam) from 02-10 June 2025 on
nomination basis in coordination with Government of Uttar Pradesh and
Government of Bihar.
Government of India has also contributed towards capacity
building on Buddhist heritage, including through support for research,
academic degree courses, short term training at various universities &
institutions, including at the Nalanda University.
The year 2025 was designated as the ASEAN-India Year of Tourism,
and several activities have been held to deepen tourism cooperation. Key
initiatives to enhance visibility and cooperation included the ASEAN-India
Tourism Professionals Exchange Programme held in Malaysia, Thailand,
Vietnam, Guwahati and Bengaluru. Also, ASEAN-India Tourism Ministers’
Meeting is held on annual basis to facilitate exchange of views and
promote tourism cooperation. India is supporting ASEAN in conducting a
feasibility study for the development of an ASEAN Cultural Heritage List.
3MEA has been facilitating events/conferences aimed at promotion
of Tourism including Buddhist circuit and Buddhist heritage sites in
various States in collaboration with Embassies of foreign governments in
India. MEA also supports activities through our Missions/posts abroad
including promoting Buddhist Circuit as part of their tourism-promotion
initiatives. Indian missions have also been facilitating participation of
State Governments in various tourism industry trade fairs in their
respective countries.
The 2nd Global Buddhist Summit organised by the International
Buddhist Confederation (IBC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture
in New Delhi on 24-25 Jan 2026 witnessed participation from nearly 200
international representatives from across the world, including leaders of
major Buddhist organisations, eminent monks, scholars, and followers of
the Dhamma.
From 08-25 November 2025, the sacred Pirprahwa relics of Lord
Buddha from India were on exposition in Bhutan. The sacred relics were
received with much reverence by the Royal family, the government and the
people of Bhutan. About 108,000 persons (14% of the Bhutan’s population)
visited the Holy Relics.
4On 03 January 2026, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
inaugurated landmark exposition titled ‘The Light and the Lotus: Relics of
the Awakened One’ showcasing the sacred Piprahwa Relics recently
repatriated to India, at the Rai Pithora Cultural Complex, New Delhi. This
historic event marks the reunification of the Piprahwa gem relics of Lord
Buddha, repatriated after 127 years.
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