**Executive Summary**
This document summarizes the Government of India's initiatives to promote Indian art and culture internationally and domestically, aiming to enhance India's soft power and achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047. It details the "Global Engagement Scheme" and the utilization of digital platforms. The information was prepared in answer to the unstarred question no. †1198 to be answered on 08.12.2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Global Engagement Scheme:**
* Implemented by the Ministry of Culture to promote India’s cultural heritage internationally.
* Aims to strengthen cultural ties, promote bilateral cultural contacts, project India’s cultural identity, encourage inbound tourism, and enhance India’s global image.
* Administered through Indian Missions abroad.
* **Components of the Global Engagement Scheme:**
* **Festival of India:** Provides opportunities for artists from diverse cultural fields (e.g., Folk Art, Music, Dance, Theatre) to perform abroad.
* **Grant in aid to Indo Foreign Friendship Cultural Societies:** Releases grants to support Indo Foreign Friendship Cultural Societies operating in foreign countries.
* **Cultural Exchange Programmes (CEPs):** Ministry of Culture signs CEPs with other countries to disseminate Indian art and culture and promote intercultural relations.
* **Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) Initiatives:**
* Implements initiatives such as Gen-Next Democracy Network Programme; ICCR ki Khoj; Padma Awardee Series; ICCR ‘Yuva Mitra' and 'Kala Saadhak' Prizes; Annapurna Certificate and Pratibha Sangam Competition.
* Promotes Indian culture through cultural centres and Missions/Posts abroad, including activities like teaching Yoga, Dance, Music, and languages.
* **Digital Promotion:**
* The Ministry of Culture leverages social media (Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn) to amplify India’s soft power and cultural diplomacy.
* The Ministry manages the official website of the Ministry of Culture, as a one-stop source of information.
* **ICCR Digital Platforms:**
* AIMS (Activity Information Management System) Portal for centralizing operations.
* A2A (Admission 2 Alumni) Portal for simplifying the application process for foreign students.
* Gyan Setu application to streamline scholarship dues to students and universities.
* Maintains information of Indian artistes through the Artists Management System (AMS).
* Launched "Universalization of Traditional Indian Knowledge Systems (UTIKS)" online platform.
* Organizes International Yoga Conference and International Indology Conference.
**Impact Analysis**
**Key Stakeholders:** Artists, Cultural Organizations, Students, Universities, Foreign Governments, and the General Public (both domestic and international).
**Impact**:
**Artists:**
* **Impact**
* Opportunities to perform abroad under the "Festival of India" banner.
* Potential engagement with ICCR through the Artists Management System (AMS).
* **Action Required**
* Stay informed about performance opportunities and ICCR engagements.
**Cultural Organizations:**
* **Impact**
* Potential for funding through "Grant in aid to Indo Foreign Friendship Cultural Societies."
* Opportunities for collaborative cultural exchange programs.
* **Action Required**
* Apply for grants and participate in cultural exchange programs.
**Students:**
* **Impact**
* Simplified application process for studying in India through the A2A Portal.
* Streamlined scholarship disbursement through the Gyan Setu application.
* Access to specialized courses on Traditional Indian Knowledge through the UTIKS platform.
* **Action Required**
* Utilize the A2A Portal for applications and the Gyan Setu application for scholarship management.
**Universities:**
* **Impact**
* Streamlined scholarship disbursement process.
* **Action Required**
* Engage with the Gyan Setu application for managing student scholarships.
**Foreign Governments:**
* **Impact**
* Opportunities for cultural exchange programs.
* Strengthened bilateral ties through cultural diplomacy.
* **Action Required**
* Engage in cultural exchange programs and support Indo Foreign Friendship Cultural Societies.
**General Public:**
* **Impact**
* Increased access to Indian art and culture both domestically and internationally.
* Enhanced understanding of India’s cultural heritage.
* **Action Required**
* Engage with Indian culture through festivals, social media, and cultural events.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Culture: The central government ministry responsible for promoting Indian art and culture, and implementing the 'Global Engagement Scheme'.
Global Engagement Scheme: A scheme implemented by the Ministry of Culture to promote India's cultural heritage internationally and strengthen cultural ties with foreign nations.
Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR): An autonomous organization under the Ministry of External Affairs, responsible for promoting Indian culture worldwide.
Festival of India: A component of the Global Engagement Scheme that provides opportunities for artists from diverse cultural fields to perform abroad.
Indo Foreign Friendship Cultural Societies: Societies that receive grants from the Indian government to foster closer friendship and cultural contacts between India and foreign countries.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CULTURE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †1198
TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.12.2025
PROMOTION OF INDIAN ART AND CULURE
†1198. Shri Nilesh Dnyandev Lanke:
Shri Gyaneshwar Patil:
Dr. Shivaji Bandappa Kalge:
Shri Bhumare Sandipanrao Asaram:
Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is implementing any special policy to promote Indian culture as soft
power to achieve the target of making India a developed nation by the year 2047, if so, the
details thereof;
(b) whether the Government is formulating a plan to showcase Indian art, craft, music and yoga
emphatically on global forum, if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government is planning to widely use digital means and social media to promote
cultural heritage, if so, the details thereof; and
(d) whether the Government is taking any steps to promote traditional knowledge and culture
based curriculum in Indian universities, if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM
(SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)
(a) & (b) Ministry of Culture implements “Global Engagement Scheme" to promote India's rich
cultural heritage internationally, strengthening cultural ties with foreign nations, promoting
bilateral cultural contacts, projecting India’s cultural identity on the world stage and encouraging
inbound tourism and enhance India's global image.The Global Engagement Scheme is administered through Indian Missions abroad to achieve its
objective through following components:
I) Festival of India:
The artists from diverse cultural fields such as Folk Art including Folk Music, Folk Dance, Folk
Theatre & Puppetry, Classical and Traditional Dance, Experimental/Contemporary Dance,
Classical/Semi Classical Music, Theatre etc. are given opportunity to perform abroad under the
banner of ‘Festival of India’.
II) Grant in aid to Indo Foreign Friendship Cultural Societies:
Grant in aid is released to Indo Foreign Friendship Cultural Societies actively functioning in
foreign counties through our Indian Missions with the object of fostering closer friendship and
cultural contacts between India and foreign country concerned.
Ministry of Culture, Government of India also sign Cultural Exchange Programmes (CEPs) with
other countries for disseminating Indian art and culture abroad to promote India’s soft power and
for developing and promoting inter-cultural relations between India and other countries in
different areas of arts and culture.
In addition, Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), an autonomous organization under
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), has been implementing many initiatives such as Gen-Next
Democracy Network Programme; ICCR ki Khoj; Padma Awardee Series; ICCR ‘Yuva Mitra’
and ‘Kala Saadhak’ Prizes; Annapurna Certificate and Pratibha Sangam Competition to promote
Indian culture as soft power to achieve the goal of making India a developed nation by 2047.
As per its mandate, ICCR is promoting Indian culture worldwide through its cultural centres and
Missions/Posts abroad by conducting activities inter-alia, teaching of Yoga, Dance, Music (vocal
and instrumental) and languages.
(c) & (d) Ministry of Culture leverages social media handles including Facebook, X, Instagram,
YouTube, Linkedin etc. to amplify India’s soft power and to promote cultural diplomacy on a
global scale. The Ministry also manages the official website of Ministry of Culture, which serves
as a one-stop destination for all information related to Ministry’s activities and initiatives.In addition, ICCR has developed (i) AIMS (Activity Information Management System) Portal to
centralize and streamline its global operations, facilitating seamless coordination between ICCR,
Indian Cultural Centres and Indian missions/posts worldwide: (ii) A2A (Admission 2 Alumni)
Portal for simplifying the application and admission process for foreign students aspiring to
study in India; (iii) Gyan Setu application aiming to streamline and to automate the release of
scholarship dues to students and universities. (iv) ICCR also maintains information of Indian
artistes engaged by ICCR through Artists Management System (AMS).
ICCR launched an online platform "Universalization of Traditional Indian Knowledge
Systems (UTIKS)" for specialized courses on Traditional Indian Knowledge as a single window
source of an introductory knowledge on Indian culture, ancient Indian texts etc. ICCR also
organizes International Yoga Conference and International Indologoy Conference.
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