India’s primary cultural diplomacy agency is suffering from a funds crunch and faces the ignominy of scaling down events at a prestigious European fete, which focuses on India, even as it puts on hold expansion plans for Indian cultural centres abroad.

One of the biggest questions that India faces today is how it will match its growing economic power with political power. Economic strength and political clout often go hand in hand

In opting out of the global platform, the Lalit Kala Akademi and the ministry of culture have robbed the country of an opportunity to roll out its famed soft power. For millions across the world, the 5,000-year-old Indus Valley Civilisation is represented by one iconic image — a dancer cast in bronze. A similar image of contemporary India will be difficult to fi

"Every bit of Internet search gives you new impulse. And, with a platform like Google, it allows one to look into every nook and corner of India," Khurshid said. Five short films made by upcoming filmmakers, and co-produced by noted director Anurag Kashyap and Viacom 18 was released on YouTube as part of the web-based campaign. Kashyap also hailed the India-themed public-private partnership that offers platforms to young and independent filmmakers, to reach out to their audience, which he said "wasn't possible before the Internet".

Union Human Resources and Development Minister M M Pallam Raju's visit has laid the groundwork for refining and enhancing educational partnership between the United States and India, a US official has said.

"His visit laid the groundwork for refining and enhancing our educational partnership and conversations begun during the Minister's trip will feed directly into June's Dialogue," said Tara D Sonenshine, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

A celebration of the youth of India is how External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Monday evening described the showcasing of two years of 'India Is', the digital initiative platform of the ministry's public diplomacy division and its rich treasure trove of photographs and visuals on India.

The idea was that China's south-west region, Myanmar, Bangladesh and India's Northeast and eastern region, might explore prospects for working together, using emerging new transport linkages as a platform for stronger trade, socio-cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Academics and scholars were invited to discuss this concept, and sensitise their governments, business entities and social organisations to the possibilities.

The idea is to stimulate young entrepreneurs in both Africa and India and to build connections between them across the Indian Ocean. “We are trying to enter people’s minds and give them a better understanding of other cultures,” he elucidates.